Hartsville, S.C. —- The 14th-ranked Catawba College baseball team extended their lead atop the South Atlantic Conference standings on Saturday, taking the series at Coker and clinching at least a share of the regular season conference title by sweeping both games against the Cobras.
GAME ONE | Catawba 7, Coker 3
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Coker 13-7
- Both teams recorded two extra-base hits
- The Catawba Indians committed the lone error in game one
- The Cobras recorded three of five stolen bases
- Catawba's pitchers allowed three earned runs on seven hits and five walks, striking out eight; Coker's staff allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits and three walks, also striking out eight
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Payne Stolsworth earned his league-leading ninth of the season, allowing just one run in 6.2 innings, allowing five hits and striking out seven
- Mason Gwyn and Hayden Simmerson combined for two shutout innings of relief
- Levi Perrell was 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored
- Bo Rusher added a pair of hits including a double and drove in three runs
- Sam Hunter went 2-for-4 with a steal, an RBI and a run scored
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIFTH INNING
- Cooper Bryson and Parker Styborski led off the fifth with back-to-back singles
- Hunter's infield single with two outs broke the scoreless tie
- Rusher ripped a two-run double to right field to take a 3-0 lead
- Stolsworth faced his first trouble in the bottom half when the Cobras loaded the bases with two outs; an RBI hit-by-pitch got a run back for Coker, but that's all Stolsworth would allo
SEVENTH INNING
- Rusher provided more run support in the seventh on an RBI base hit
EIGHTH INNING
- After Coker cut down a runner at the plate, Perrell lifted a three-run homer over the left field wall to blow open a 7-1 lead
- The Cobras got two runs back in the bottom half but got no closer
GAME TWO | Catawba 9, Coker 2
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Coker 13-7
- The Catawba Indians recorded all three extra-base hits including two homers
- The Cobras committed three of the four errors in the contest
- Coker recorded both stolen bases in the game
- Catawba's staff allowed two earned runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out nine; Coker's pitchers allowed five earned runs on 13 hits and three walks, striking out five
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Cole Hales got the start, allowing just one run in 2.1 innings
- Casey Gouge provided 1.2 innings of shutout relief before Simmerson picked up the save with the final three innings, punching out six while allowing one run
- Dylan Driver was 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored
- Jackson Finger added three hits with an RBI and a run scored
- Hunter also homered; Drew Robertson doubled
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Perrell and Driver led off with back-to-back singles
- Catawba scored its first two runs on an error and a passed ball
- Robertson's double scored another run as Catawba led 3-0 before the Cobras got a chance to bat
SECOND INNING
- Driver's three-run homer in the second opened up a 6-0 lead
- Hunter made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot of his own after a pitching change
- RBI singles from Bryson and Finger made it a 9-0 Catawba lead
- An RBI groundout got Coker on the board in the bottom half
SEVENTH INNING
- After a three-hour rain delay, Coker added one more run on an RBI single
UP NEXT
- Catawba returns to Newman Park next weekend, hosting Wingate for a three-game set in a matchup of the top two teams in the SAC standings; first pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m.
