Salisbury, N.C. — The 5th-ranked Catawba College baseball team finished off a sweep of Mars Hill to improve to 6-0 in South Atlantic Conference play at Newman Park, pushing their team-record consecutive winning conference series streak to 21.
GAME ONE | Catawba 5, Mars Hill 2
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Mars Hill 6-3
- The Catawba Indians hit the only two extra-base hits in the game
- The Lions committed the lone error
- Both teams recorded two stolen bases
- Catawba's pitchers allowed two runs on three hits and eight walks, striking out 10; the Lions' staff allowed four earned runs on six hits and six walks, striking out five
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Kemper Nix was solid in the start, not allowing a run until the seventh inning on just two hits with seven punchouts
- Zachary Gaydos earned the win after escaping a jam with a pair of strikeouts
- Joe Burleyson earned the save with a scoreless ninth
- Matthew Connolly hit the go-ahead double that scored two runs
- Brandon Crabtree and Logan Dyer both picked up a pair of hits and scored a run
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIFTH INNING
- A two-out error allowed Catawba to score the game's first run in the fifth inning
SEVENTH INNING
- A single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs for Mars Hill in the seventh
- A base-hit through the right side scored two before a runner was thrown out at third, giving the Lions the late lead
EIGHTH INNING
- Crabtree and Dyer singled to put two on for Catawba in the eighth
- Connolly ripped a double to left field to put the Catawba Indians back in front
- Back-to-back bunts scored Connolly to make it 4-2 Catawba
- Jack Cuba's sacrifice bunt scored another run to give Catawba a three-run cushion
GAME TWO | Catawba 5, Mars Hill 3
TEAM STATISTICS
- Mars Hill out-hit Catawba 9-7
- Both teams homered and recorded four extra-base hits
- MHU had the lone stolen base in the contest
- Catawba's pitchers allowed three runs on nine hits and four walks, striking out six; MHU's staff allowed five runs on seven hits and five walks, striking out three
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Parker Lakey earned the win with a scoreless frame
- Joe Burleyson escaped another bases-loaded jam for the final two outs of the game to pick up his second save of the afternoon
- Sam Hunter was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored
- Crabtree added two more hits in game two, including a double, with an RBI and run scored
- Hunter Atkins homered, driving in two
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Hunter singled and moved to third on a hit-and-run base-hit from Crabtree
- A double play scored the game's first run
SECOND INNING
- Two singles put runners on the corners for Peyton Starkey's RBI double that tied the game
THIRD INNING
- A leadoff walk and Hunter's double put runners on second and third with nobody out
- Logan Dyer's RBI sac fly to right score the tie-breaking run
FOURTH INNING
- A solo homer and an RBI double inched the Lions ahead once again, 3-2
FIFTH INNING
- Hunter singled to lead off the fifth and Crabtree's double off the right field wall scored him all the way from first to tie the game
- Atkins' towering homer to left field was the go-ahead hit, leading 5-3
SEVENTH INNING
- Three walks loaded the bases with one out before Catawba turned to Burleyson
- Burleyson earned a strikeout for a key second out before a groundout to short ended the game
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to non-conference game on the road next week, traveling to Mount Olive for a 3 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday
