Catawba Falls to UC San Diego in NCAA DII Baseball National Championship Final Opening Game
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
UC San Diego
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
|
Catawba
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
CARY, N.C. - The No. 6 seed UC San Diego Tritons plated five runs in the top of the fifth inning en route to a 5-0 win over the No. 3 seed Catawba Indians in the opening game of the 2019 NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship Finals at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The game started as a pitcher's dual, but the Tritons were able to score five runs on six hits, including back-to-back homers off Catawba started Bryan Ketchie in the top of the fifth. The Indian pitchers held UCSD scoreless for the remainder of the game, but the Catawba offense never found it's rhythm and was held in check by the Triton pitchers for nine innings.
Ketchie (9-2) was tagged with the loss. He went 4.1 innings allowing five runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
Leading Catawba at the plate was Jackson Raper as he collected two of the Indians' four hits. Cameron Morrison and Lee Poteat each picked up a hit as well for Catawba.
Catawba drops to the elimination bracket and will take on the loser of the No.7 Mercyhurst and No. 2 Tampa game on Tuesday (June 4) at 3 p.m.