Salisbury, N.C. —- The seventh-ranked and second-seeded Catawba College baseball team scored runs in the first inning for the fourth straight time this NCAA Tournament, plating seven runs in the first two innings to defeat 18th-ranked and fifth-seed Francis Marion, 12-7, at Newman Park to move a win away from the Division II National Championships.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Both teams recorded 15 hits
- Francis Marion hit two of three homers; the Catawba Indians recorded six of eight extra-base hits
- Catawba left five runners on base; the Patriots stranded nine runners
- The Catawba Indians recorded both stolen bases in the game
- Catawba's pitchers allowed seven runs on 15 hits, striking out eight; FMU's staff allowed 12 runs on 15 hits and two walks, striking out two
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Brandon Crabtree was 3-for-5, a single shy of the cycle, with four RBI and three runs scored
- Logan Dyer added three hits with an RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored
- Jake Dunlap added two hits with a double, driving in three and scoring another
- Hunter Atkins doubled in two hits, driving in two and scoring
- Colt Wilkins earned his 11th win of the year, tossing 6.2 innings with five runs allowed and seven strikeouts
- Seth Sharpe recorded the final three outs in relief
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Dyer singled to short to lead off the game; he moved to third on a groundout to the right side
- Sam Hunter's sac fly scored the game's first run
- Atkins doubled and Dunlap followed with an RBI double to extend the lead
- Nathan Chrismon added Catawba's third straight double to score Dunlap, giving Catawba a 3-0 lead after the first inning
SECOND INNING
- Matthew Connolly and Malachi Cloud led off the second with two single to chase the Francis Marion starter
- Crabtree's double off the wall in center field scored Connolly to extend the lead to four
- Back to back walks scored Catawba's fifth run
- Dunlap drove in two more on a single up the middle to extend Catawba's lead to 7-0
SIXTH INNING
- Will Dorell drove in FMU's first run in the sixth, scoring Charlie Bussey III
- Cloud singled and stole second with one out in the sixth; he scored on Dyer's RBI opposite-field single
- Crabtree lined a home run over the right field wall to take a 10-1 lead
SEVENTH INNING
- Ethan McAnally hit a three-run homer to cross the 100-RBI mark for the season in the seventh
- Dorell followed with a no-doubt homer to right to cut Catawba's lead to five
EIGHTH INNING
- Crabtree's triple off the center field wall scored Dyer
- Atkins' two-out single the other way returned Catawba's lead to seven runs
NINTH INNING
- McAnally drove in another on a single up the middle
- A fielder's choice scored another run, cutting to five runs
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to Newman Park at noon on Friday, looking to claim another region title with a win
