Salisbury, N.C. — The third-ranked Catawba College baseball team earned a 6-2 victory over Lincoln Memorial in the opening game of the series at Newman Park, besting the Railsplitters in just over two hours behind Colt Wilkins' complete-game performance.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Lincoln Memorial 14-5
- Both teams hit a homer; the Catawba Indians had two of three extra-base hits
- Both teams committed an error
- The Railsplitters left five runners on base; Catawba stranded seven
- Catawba recorded the lone stolen base of the game
- The Catawba Indian starter went the full nine innings, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk, striking out nine; LMU's staff allowed six runs on 14 hits, striking out five
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Wilkins allowed two runs on just five hits, while matching a season-high with nine strikeouts in his sixth winning decision of the year
- Brandon Crabtree was 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and two runs scored
- Sam Hunter went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored
- Ty Hubbard added a pair of hits with a run driven in and a run scored
- Malachi Cloud had a three-hit day with a stolen base and a run scored
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Crabtree's one-out double set him up to score on Hunter Atkins' RBI single
- Hubbard's two-out RBI base knock put the Catawba Indians ahead 2-0 early
SECOND INNING
- Cloud singled and stole second to lead off the second inning
- Logan Dyer's sacrifice fly brought him home, leading 3-0
- Hunter's single to right field scored Nathan Chrismon from second for Catawba's second multi-run frame
FOURTH INNING
- Alex Kowalski got Lincoln Memorial on the board with a two-run homer in the fourth
FIFTH INNING
- Crabtree responded with a no-doubt homer to right-center to lead off the bottom half of the fifth
EIGHTH INNING
- Hubbard added another base hit up the middle to lead off the eighth
- A bunt moved him up to second, where Chrismon drove him home with a two-out single to center field
UP NEXT
- Catawba and Lincoln Memorial wrap up the three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday; first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
