Salisbury, N.C. —- Down to their final strike in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional opener, the 4th-ranked and top-seeded Catawba College baseball team rallied back with two base hits to pull off a walk-off win over eighth-seeded Lander at Newman Park on Thursday.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit Lander 12-11

- The Catawba Indians recorded six of nine extra-base hits

- The Bearcats committed the lone error of the game

- Catawba left seven runners on base; Lander stranded eight

- The Catawba Indian pitchers allowed eight runs on 11 hits and five walks, striking out five; the Bearcats' staff allowed eight earned runs on 12 hits and six walks, striking out six

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Dylan Driver recorded the game-tying double before scoring the game-winning run, while also homering for a total of three RBI and three runs scored

- Cole Hales went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI

- Sam Hunter added two hits including a double with two runs scored

- Matthew Connolly homered in a two-hit effort

- Hayden Simmerson picked up the win, allowing a run in two innings of work; Brandon Rodgers allowed a run across three innings in relief

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- An infield hit and a two-out walk allowed Garrett Chun's homer to score three runs for Lander in the top of the first

- Driver answered with a homer on the first pitch of the bottom half

- Hunter doubled to right field with one out before Hunter Atkins came through with a two-out RBI single to center

SECOND INNING

- Connolly's solo shot to left-center tied the game at 3

THIRD INNING

- Adam Love's two-out RBI single allowed Lander to retake the lead in the third

- Hales' double scored Hunter from first to tie the game once again at 4

FOURTH INNING

- A sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI double nosed the Bearcats in front again in the fourth

- A walk loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half; Hales delivered with a two-run single to tie the game once more at 6

SEVENTH INNING

- Lander squeaked ahead again with an RBI single up the middle from Chun

EIGHTH INNING

- Two walks and a passed ball set up Driver's sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game for the fourth time, locked up at 8

TENTH INNING

- Lander's Grant Sherrod drove in the go-ahead run with an opposite-field RBI single, but Driver threw out the second runner from right field, keeping the Catawba Indians' deficit to a single run

- Parker Styborski drew a one-out walk

- With a 3-2 count and two outs, Driver ripped a double down the third-base line and Styborski wheeled around from first to tie the game again at 8

- Dunlap delivered the walk-off single to right-center, scoring Driver from second

GAME NOTES

- Catawba's 40th NCAA Tournament win in program history

- The Catawba Indians are 24-10 in the Regional since 2012

- Catawba is riding a five-game win streak against Southeast opponents in the NCAA Tournament

- Driver's 61st career double, passing Matt Smith for fifth all-time in program history

- The win sets up Catawba's fifth matchup with North Greenville in the Regional; the Catawba Indians are 3-1 in the first four meetings

UP NEXT

- Catawba advances to the winner's bracket, where they'll take on 5-seed and 23rd-ranked North Greenville at 6 p.m. at Newman Park