Kannapolis, N.C. —- The 4th-ranked Catawba College baseball team surrendered eight unanswered runs to fall to the 17th-ranked Francis Marion Patriots in its annual game at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis on Tuesday night.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Francis Marion 14-12
- Both teams had three extra-base hits
- The Catawba Indians committed the two errors on the night
- Francis Marion left seven runners on base; Catawba stranded 11
- Catawba recorded five of nine stolen bases in the game
- The Patriots' pitchers allowed 10 runs on 14 hits and eight walks, striking out seven; Catawba's staff allowed 13 earned runs on 12 hits and six walks, striking out 10
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Jake Dunlap was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored
- Sam Hunter added a pair of hits and a walk with an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base
- Logan Dyer singled twice and walked three times with two runs scored
- Matthew Connolly doubled in two base hits with an RBI and a run scored
- Calvin Douglas was great in relief, not allowing an earned run and striking out eight through 5.1 innings; two earned runs were charged to him after his exit
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- A hit-by-pitch and an error on a failed pickoff attempt got the Patriots in scoring position with nobody out in the top of the first
- Ethan McAnally drove home the game's first run on an RBI single
- He scored on a stolen base, a passed ball and a wild pitch to lead 2-0
- A walk and a HBP followed by two RBI singles gave FMU a 4-0 lead
- The Patriots got caught in a rundown which allowed a runner from third to score before the tag out, increasing their first-inning lead to five
- Dyer walked and moved over to third on Hunter's single
- Hunter Atkins' sac fly brought it home to score Catawba's first run of the night
SECOND INNING
- Connolly doubled to left to lead off the second inning
- Ty Hubbard's two-out double down the left field line helped cut Catawba's deficit to 5-2
THIRD INNING
- Francis Marion got a runner aboard on an error in the third
- Two balks helped him get around the bases to score, leading 6-2
- Connolly bounced a ball over the third baseman's head to score Hunter in the bottom half to bring the deficit back to three
- Dunlap scored another on a bunt single, making it 6-4
FOURTH INNING
- A single and two walks loaded the bases for Catawba in the fourth
- Hunter's RBI hit-by-pitch brought the Catawba Indians within a run
- Atkins tied the game with an RBI groundout
- Dunlap's two-out double down the third-base line gave Catawba its first lead at 8-6
- Nathan Chrismon followed with an RBI single through the left side, leading 9-6
SIXTH INNING
- Dunlap's opposite-field single and two bunt singles loaded the bases again for Catawba in the sixth
- A balk scored Catawba's 10th – and what would be their final – run of the night
SEVENTH INNING
- A single and two walks loaded the bases for Francis Marion in the seventh
- A bloop single to left-center brought the Patriots' deficit to three
- FMU tied the game on a bases-clearing double to the alley in right-center
- A hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases once again for the Patriots
- They took the lead on a wild pitch, leading 11-10
EIGHTH INNING
- An RBI double and a two-RBI double extended Francis Marion's lead to 14-10 in the eighth
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to South Atlantic Conference play this weekend, traveling to Coker for a three-game series; game one on Friday is set for a 6 p.m. start
