Salisbury, N.C. — The 5th-ranked Catawba College baseball team shutout Mars Hill for the final eight innings on Friday night, allowing just one hit after the first inning in a 9-2 win to improve to 4-0 in South Atlantic Conference play.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Mars Hill 11-4
- The Catawba Indians recorded both extra-base hits
- The Lions committed both errors in the contest
- Catawba recorded the lone stolen base in the game
- The Catawba Indian pitchers allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, striking out 13; MHU's staff allowed nine runs on 11 hits and six walks, striking out seven
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Colt Wilkins allowed two runs in seven innings – none on just one hit after the first inning – striking out a season-high nine
- Braeden Major struck out four in two scoreless frames
- Matthew Connolly homered, driving in two and scoring two runs himself
- Brandon Crabtree recorded a three-hit game a stolen base and a run scored
- Nathan Chrismon drove in two on a single and scored
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out for Mars Hill
- A hit-by-pitch brought in the Lions' first run
- A base hit through the left side extended Mars Hill's lead to 2-0
SECOND INNING
- Two walks and two groundouts put runners on second and third for Catawba in the second
- Parker Styborski ripped a two-out, two-run single through the left side, tying the game
THIRD INNING
- Connolly's towering two-run shot with two outs put Catawba on top in the third
FIFTH INNING
- A single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out in the fifth
- A wild pitch on a strikeout scored Crabtree to make it 5-2
- Chrismon's two-run single to left pushed it to a five-run advantage
- Ty Hubbard drove a ball through the right side to score another run, with Catawba leading 8-2
SIXTH INNING
- Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out again in the sixth
- A double play scored Catawba's ninth run of the evening
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to Newman Park on Saturday, facing Mars Hill in a doubleheader; first pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.
