Baseball improves to 15-1 at home with win over LMU in series opener

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College baseball team reclaimed sole possession of first place in the South Atlantic Conference on Friday night, defeating conference contender Lincoln Memorial, 7-4, to improve to 15-1 at Newman Park on the season.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit Lincoln Memorial 9-6

- The Railsplitters recorded four of six extra-base hits in the contest

- LMU committed two of three errors on the evening

- Both teams recorded two stolen bases

- Catawba's pitchers allowed three earned runs on six hits and five walks, while striking out eight; LMU's staff allowed five earned runs on nine hits and four walks, also striking out eight

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Brandon Rodgers provided three key shutout innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk in three frames, striking out three; Hayden Simmerson picked up his fourth save of the season in a shutout ninth

- Austin Fine earned the win on the mound, improving to 6-1 overall on the year

- Levi Perrell went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored

- Cooper Bryson was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored

- Logan Rogers drove home a run on a double and scored; Ty Hubbard provided another RBI base hit

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Back-to-back LMU doubles gave them an early 1-0 lead in the first

- A fielding error allowed Perrell to race home from second to tie the game in the bottom half

SECOND INNING

- Two two-out singles gave LMU runners at the corners

- A passed ball allowed the Railsplitters to retake the lead, 2-1

FOURTH INNING

- Drew Robertson was hit by a pitch and stole second with one out in the fourth

- Hubbard's two-out RBI single up the middle scored Robertson to tie the game

- Perrell followed up with an RBI base knock to center field to take the lead

- A passed ball from the LMU catcher allowed Hubbard to cross home to take a 4-2 lead

FIFTH INNING

- LMU answered right back with a double giving them runners at second and third with nobody out

- A sac fly and a wild pitch tied the game at 4

- Catawba scored again with two outs in the bottom half, as Rogers drove home Robertson on a double to left

- Bryson followed up with a double of his own to extend the lead back to two runs

SEVENTH INNING

- Bryson delivered yet another two-out RBI base hit with a single to score an insurance run with Catawba leading 7-4

NINTH INNING

- LMU got the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Simmerson struck out the SAC batting leader Carson Boles to earn the save and the series-opening win for the Catawba Indians

UP NEXT

- Catawba and LMU wrap up the three-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday; first pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.