Cary, N.C. —- Fourth-ranked and sixth-seeded Point Loma scored the final six runs to earn a win over seventh-ranked and third-seeded Catawba on Saturday in the teams' opening game of the Division II National Championships in Cary.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Point Loma out-hit Catawba 14-9
- The Sea Lions recorded both homers and three of four extra-base hits
- Both teams left 11 runners on base
- PLNU's staff allowed five runs on nine hits and nine walks, striking out six; Catawba's pitchers allowed 11 runs on 14 hits and six walks, striking out eight
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Logan Dyer was 3-for-5 with a run scored
- Jake Dunlap tripled, drove in two and scored
- Brandon Crabtree singled, walked three times and scored
- Matthew Connolly picked up two base hits
- Casey Gouge was tagged with the loss, but allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Two singles surrounded a walk to load the bases for Catawba with nobody out in the first
- Hunter Atkins' sac fly scored the game's first run as everyone moved up a base
- Dunlap drove in another run on an RBI groundout
SECOND INNING
- Two Sea Lion base hits put runners on the corners with one out in the second
- Back-to-back two-out RBI base hits tied the game at 2
FOURTH INNING
- PLNU loaded the bases with one out in the fourth
- A sacrifice fly and a two-out single to center field put the Sea Lions ahead 4-2
FIFTH INNING
- Point Loma added to its lead when it was hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and two outs
FIFTH INNING
- Atkins led off the fifth with a walk
- Dunlap lined an RBI triple to right-center to cut the deficit to two runs
- Nathan Chrismon's RBI groundout got Catawba within a run
SEVENTH INNING
- Two walks and a bunt put two runners in scoring position with one out
- Ty Hubbard scored a run on a groundout, tying the game at 5
EIGHTH INNING
- A hit by pitch, a wild pitch and an intentional walk in the eighth put two runners on for PLNU
- Josiah Rodriguez's single through the right side scored the go-ahead run that just beat the throw from the outfield
- Hank Smith's three-run homer broke the game open, 9-5
- Mason Cook followed with another homer to lead 10-5
NINTH INNING
- Point Loma added another run in the top of the ninth for their 11th run of the game
GAME NOTES
- Catawba scored in the first inning in its seventh straight NCAA Tournament game
- The Catawba Indians fall to 7-9 all-time in Cary
- Catawba falls in its third straight opener at the National Championships
- The Catawba Indians bounced back to wins its next two games in 2024, scoring 33 runs
UP NEXT
- Catawba takes on the loser of Tampa-Bentley at 1:30 p.m. on Monday
