Catawba Drops NCAA Baseball Opener to Lander

GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Top-seeded Lander got a complete game from Dylan Wolchik in opening the 2014 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Baseball Tournament with a 4-1 win over Catawba on Thursday night at Dolny Stadium. The host Bearcats, ranked #2 in NCAA II, improve to 48-6 and will face USC Aiken next on Friday afternoon. The sixth-seeded Catawba Indians drop to 33-19 and face an elimination game against Mount Olive on Friday at noon.

Lander scored all four of its runs in the third inning. After an out, Craig Brooks (Monroe, NC/Parkwood HS) walked three straight batters to load the bases. Connor Lewis followed with a two-strike, bases-clearing double to right center that put the Bearcats up 3-0. Weston Lawing added a RBI single to cap the scoring.

The Indians pen kept the Bearcats to just four runs, including a sparkling four shutout frames from senior Michael Trombino (Boca Raton, FL/Calvary Academy). He allowed one hit, walked one and fanned four.

Wolchik kept Catawba off the bases until Paul Kronenfeld (Greensboro, NC/Woodberry Forest HS/Georgia Tech) singled with one out in the fourth. The Indians put a pair of runners on with one out in the sixth, but Lander got out of the frame unscathed.

Catawba finally got on the board in the seventh. Ethan Satterfield (Madison, NC/McMichael HS) led off with a single. He stole second and went to third on an overthrow. T.J. Wharton (Lutz, FL/Bishop McLaughlin HS/Guilford Tech) produced the run with a sacrifice fly. The Indians would get a baserunner in the eighth and ninth, but could not get a run in.

Wolchik improved to 11-1 with his complete game. He allowed one unearned run off three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Thomas Berry had two hits and produced the only multi-hit performance of the game. He also walked twice.

Brooks (12-3) ended a stretch of 12 straight winning decisions with the loss. He gave up just three hits, but walked four over his two and a third innings. Brooks fanned three. Dylan Richardson(Randleman, NC/Randleman HS/Appalachian St.) had the other for the Indians on a bunt single in the sixth.

- Catawba media relations