Greenville, Tenn. —- The Catawba College baseball team scored two runs on three hits – capped with Drew Robertson's go-ahead, RBI single with two outs in the ninth – to help lift the team to a split in its doubleheader at Tusculum to open up South Atlantic Conference play.
GAME ONE | Tusculum 4, Catawba 2
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Tusculum 9-7
- The Pioneers had both extra-base hits in the game – both homers
- Catawba committed both errors in the contest
- Both teams had two steals in the game
- Tusculum's pitchers allowed two earned runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out nine; Catawba's staff allowed four earned runs on seven hits and one walk, also striking out five
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Levi Perrell went 2-for-5 with a run scored
- Cole Hales was 2-for-4 with an RBI
- Cooper Bryson also recorded two hits
- Austin Fine allowed three earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings, taking his first loss of the season
- Harris Jackson, Brandon Rodgers and Hales combined for 1.2 scoreless innings in relief
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Tusculum's Zane Keefer hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first to take an early lead
THIRD INNING
- Perrell and Dylan Driver hit back-to-back singles to lead off the third
- After advancing on a wild pitch, Perrell scored on Bo Rusher's RBI groundout and Driver scored on Hales' two-out RBI single
SIXTH INNING
- TU's Jake Absher hit a go-ahead two-run homer to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth
SEVENTH INNING
- The Pioneers loaded the bases with one out in the seventh
- Ben Scartz hit an RBI sac fly to add an insurance score
GAME TWO | Catawba 3, Tusculum 2
TEAM STATISTICS
- Both teams recorded seven hits
- Catawba had two of three extra-base hits
- The Catawba Indians committed all three errors in the game
- Tusculum had the lone stolen base of the game, but got caught stealing twice
- Catawba's pitchers allowed one earned run on seven hits and two walks, striking out five; Tusculum's staff allowed three earned runs on seven hits, punching out seven
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Perrell went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored
- Robertson also was 2-for-3 with the go-ahead RBI in the seventh
- Hales singled to lead off the seventh-inning rally and scored
- Ty Hubbard drove in the tying run
- Payne Stolsworth allowed one earned run on seven hits, striking out two
- Mason Gwyn earned the win after Catawba took the lead following his scoreless inning; Hales earned the save with a three-up, three-down bottom of the seventh
HOW IT HAPPENED
THIRD INNING
- Tusculum's Luis Reyes singled and stole second to lead off the third
- Keener scored him on an RBI single and later scored on a Catawba error, as the Pioneers took a 2-0 lead
FOURTH INNING
- Perrell doubled to lead off the fourth
- Bryson's groundout advanced him to third and Sam Hunter's sac fly scored him to cut the deficit in half
SEVENTH INNING
- Hales and Logan Rogers hit back-to-back singles with out in the seventh
- Hubbard's game-tying RBI single scored Hales
- A flyout allowed Zeb Burns to tag up to third
- Robertson's go-ahead RBI single scored Burns to take a 3-2 lead
- Hales struck out two in a shutdown seventh to earn his first save of the year
UP NEXT
- Catawba and Tusculum return to Pioneer Park on Monday for the rubber match of the series; first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
