Salisbury, N.C. —- The 21st-ranked Catawba College baseball team improved to a league-leading 15-4 mark in South Atlantic Conference play on Friday night, defeating visiting Mars Hill 4-1 behind a gem of a start from senior right-hander Austin Fine.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Mars Hill 5-4
- The Catawba Indians recorded the lone extra-base hit in the game
- Catawba had three of four stolen bases on the night
- The Catawba Indian pitchers allowed one earned run on four hits and one walk, striking out nine, while Mars Hill's staff allowed four earned runs on five hits and six walks, striking out five
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Fine went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on just two hits and one walk, while matching a season-high with seven strikeouts; he improved to 7-1 on the mound this season in the effort
- Brandon Rodgers recorded the last four outs on the mound to earn his second straight save
- Dylan Driver recorded an RBI double, stole a base and scored twice
- Sam Hunter had a key RBI base knock and scored
- Cole Hales and Logan Rogers also drove in runs
HOW IT HAPPENED
THIRD INNING
- Alex Naran's RBI single got Mars Hill on the board in the third
- The Lions loaded the bases with two outs, but Fine worked around it to keep the MHU lead to a single run
FOURTH INNING
- Bo Rusher's single put runners on first and second with one out in the fourth
- Hales lined a single to center field to score Driver from second to tie the game at one
- Mars Hill recorded back-to-back outs with runners on second and third to preserve the tie game
FIFTH INNING
- Hunter found a hole on the right side to score Ty Hubbard from second with two outs in the fifth to take the lead
- Driver followed with an RBI double off the wall in left to double the lead
EIGHTH INNING
- With runners on the corners and one out, Rogers added an insurance run with an RBI fielder's choice, scoring Driver
UP NEXT
- Catawba and Mars Hill wrap up the series with a doubleheader tomorrow; first pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.
