Softball earns split vs #16 Anderson in SAC opener

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team picked up a nationally ranked win on Wednesday as part of a split in their doubleheader versus 16th-ranked Anderson University in their South Atlantic Conference opener at Whitley Field. The Catawba Indians move to 11-7 overall and 1-1 in the SAC, while the Trojans move to 18-6 overall and 4-2 in league play.

Game one was all Catawba, who raced its way to an 8-0 win in five innings. Alex Baquie pitched a gem in the circle, pitching five shutout innings, allowing just one hit with two walks and three strikeouts.

Christina Brendle singled through the right side to open up Catawba's four-run third inning. Riley Tucker, Kary Hales and Bri Gallagher would later add RBI singles of their own in the inning, as the Catawba Indians took a 4-0 lead after three.

Allie Burns scored on a fielding error in the fourth before Brendle added to her big day with a 2-RBI single to center field to extend Catawba's lead to 7-0. In all, Brendle had went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Savanna Balderston drove in the winning run in the fifth to enforce the mercy rule.

Anderson responded in game two, scoring three runs in the first started off by Kayson Boatner's leadoff home run. The Trojans added one more run in both the second and third innings to take a 5-0 lead into the fourth inning.

Catawba did not back down, though, as Burns walked in a run in the fourth inning to put Catawba on the board and Tucker's sac fly in the fifth made it 5-2.

In the sixth inning, Balderston drove in two on a single to right center to cut the deficit to a single run. Catawba had the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh, but a ball in play struck a runner to end the game.

The Catawba Indians return to Whitley Field on Sunday, hosting UNC Pembroke for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.