Salisbury, N.C. —- The 9th-ranked and top-seeded Catawba College baseball team opened its postseason run with a loss on Thursday night, falling to 25th-ranked and fifth-seeded Young Harris, who avoided elimination with the victory, in NCAA Southeast Regional action at Newman Park.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Young Harris out-hit Catawba 9-8
- The Catawba Indians had four of seven extra-base hits; both teams hit homers
- Catawba stranded four runners while the Mountain Lions left eight on base
- YHC committed both errors in the game, but had the lone stolen base
- Young Harris' pitchers allowed three earned runs on eight hits and one walk, striking out five; Catawba's staff gave up five earned runs on nine hits and three walks, striking out seven
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Brandon Rodgers and Hayden Simmerson both recorded a shutout inning in relief
- Logan Rogers was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer
- Bo Rusher singled, walked and drove in a run
- Ty Hubbard also recorded a multi-hit game with a pair of singles
- Levi Perrell and Dylan Driver had doubles on the night
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- A two-out walk loaded the bases for Young Harris and Kade Smallwood capitalized, clearing the bases with a three-run double with two outs to take the early lead
- Perrell responded with a double to lead off the bottom half of the first; Rusher's two-out single scored Perrell to get Catawba on the board
FOURTH INNING
- Smallwood led off the fourth with a solo homer to right field
- Rogers matched with a two-run blast, his team-leading 13th of the year, to left center to trim the Mountain Lion deficit to a single run
SEVENTH INNING
- YHC's Jeremy Begora added an insurance run with a two-out single to left in the seventh
UP NEXT
- Catawba turns around tomorrow to face 13th-ranked and fourth-seeded UNC Pembroke in an attempt to stave off elimination; first pitch is set for 6 p.m.
