Big innings highlight Baseball's sweep of Emory & Henry

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College baseball team out-scored Emory & Henry 26-4 lacrosse two ends of a doubleheader on Sunday at Newman Park to complete the sweep of the Wasps and improve to 15-6 overall and 6-3 in South Atlantic Conference play.

GAME ONE | Catawba 10, Emory & Henry 3

TEAM STATS

- Emory & Henry out-hit Catawba 12-11

- The Catawba Indians had five of seven extra-base hits

- Catawba committed the lone error in the field

- The Catawba Indians recorded all four stolen bases in the game

- Catawba's pitchers allowed three earned runs on 12 hits and two walks, striking out seven; E&H's staff allowed 10 earned runs on 11 hits and four walks, striking out four

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Bo Rusher went 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk, a steal, two RBI and two runs scored

- Sam Hunter added a single with three RBI and a run scored

- Cole Hales was 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run scored

- Levi Perrell also added multiple hits with three steals and two runs scored

- Payne Stolsworth went seven strong innings to earn the win, allowing two earned runs, striking out three; Hayden Simmerson earned the six-out save, allowing one run and striking out four 

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Perrell singled and stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch

- Hunter scored him on an RBI groundout

SECOND INNING

- Hales doubled down the right field line

- A bunt moved him over before Cooper Bryson's RBI groundout scored him

FOURTH INNING

- Rusher had a lead-off walk before Hales scored him on an RBI double

SEVENTH INNING

- A two-out, two-RBI single cut Emory & Henry's deficit to a single run in the bottom of the seventh as Catawba led 3-2

EIGHTH INNING

- Catawba added an insurance score off Rusher's solo homer in the eighth

NINTH INNING

- Catawba ran away with the lead with a 6-spot in the ninth

- Ty Hubbard's two-RBI triple extended the lead to 6-2

- Hunter drove in two more on an RBI single up the middle

- Rusher drove in another on an RBI single and Hales' RBI groundout got the Catawba Indians to 10 runs

- An RBI double got a run back for the Wasps, but Simmerson closed the door there, earning his first career save

GAME TWO | Catawba 16, Emory & Henry 1

TEAM STATS

- Catawba out-hit Emory & Henry 16-4

- The Catawba Indians had all five extra-base hits

- E&H committed the lone error of game two

- Catawba had all three stolen bases in the game

- The Catawba Indian staff allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks, striking out one; E&H's pitchers allowed 14 earned runs on 16 hits and six walks, striking out five

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Hales added to a monster day with a 3-for-4 game with a homer, four RBI and three runs scored

- Logan Rogers was 2-for-5 with a steal, three RBI and a run scored

- Dylan Driver went 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored

- Rusher was 1-for-2 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored

- Perrell drove in two with a triple and scored

- Carson Edmiston allowed one run on three hits in three innings of work in the no-decision start, Brandon Rodgers got the win without allowing a hit in three innings of shutout relief and Harris Jackson closed things up with a shutout seventh frame

HOW IT HAPPENED

SECOND INNING

- Rusher walked to lead off the second before Hales' homer to left center put Catawba up 2-0 early

- E&H got a run back on Steven Smith's RBI single to center

THIRD INNING

- Hunter's double had runners on second and third with no one out

- Back-to-back RBI groundouts scored Driver and Hunter to take a 4-1 lead

FIFTH INNING

- Rusher's RBI single scored Driver in the fifth before Hales scored Hunter on to take a 6-1 lead

- Rogers' two-out, two-RBI single scored Rusher and Hales

- Catawba stole home to extend the lead to 9-1

- Perrell ripped a two-RBI triple to extend the lead before Driver's RBI double scored him as Catawba put up eighth runs in the fifth to lead 12-1

SIXTH INNING

- Catawba scored two more in the sixth on Rogers' RBI single and Cameron Burleyson's RBI sac fly

SEVENTH INNING

- Catawba scored on an error before Jackson Finger's RBI single closed the scoring in a big series for the Catawba bats, as the designated visitors scored 41 runs in the three-game set

UP NEXT

- Catawba takes a break from conference action on Tuesday, traveling to Belmont Abbey for a mid-week matchup with the Crusaders; first pitch is set for 5 p.m.