SALISBURY, N.C. --- The Catawba College baseball team recorded a pair of one-run wins in a South Atlantic Conference sweep over Tusculum University Saturday afternoon at Newman Park.
The Catawba Indians (28-21, 16-8 SAC) posted a 3-2 win in the opener and rallied with five unanswered runs in the final two innings including a two-run, walk-off double by Braxton Davis in a 5-4 victory in the night-cap. The Indians complete the weekend sweep of Tusculum while securing the No. 5 seed in next week's SAC Tournament.
The Pioneers (17-30, 5-19 SAC) end their season on a four-game losing streak while dropping its seasonal record to 4-13 in one-run contests. Tusculum faced the second toughest schedule in NCAA Division II as the 2022 slate featured 18 games against nationally-ranked opposition.
Game 1: Catawba 3, Tusculum 2
The Catawba pitching trio of Ben Gilks, Michael Gracer and Robbie Cowie limited the Pioneers to five hits and two runs in a 3-2 win in Saturday's first game.
The Indians scored three runs in the third inning and made them stand. The three-run frame was sparked by RBI singles from Dylan Driver and Dylan Wilkinson.
Tusculum scored in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead when Rudy Fernandez reached on an error and later scored on a Kyle Williams' RBI single.
After Catawba scored three in the bottom of the frame, TU plated a run in the fourth when Christian Ortega led off with a solo blast to left.
The Pioneers got the tying run at second base with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Cowie closed out the game with an infield pop up to secure his ninth save of the year. Gilks (5-2) recorded the win in the start as he went seven innings, allowed four hits, two runs, one earned, walked two and struck out seven.
Tusculum starter Tyler Harmon (2-2) tossed a gem in his final collegiate game as he went 7.1 innings while allowing seven hits, three runs, four walks and five strikeouts.
Catawba's Levi Perrell accounted for three of the Tribe's eight hits, while Wilkinson also had a two-hit outing in the victory.
Game 2: Catawba 5, Tusculum 4
Catawba overcame a 4-0 deficit with two runs in the sixth inning and three in the seventh to rally to a 5-4 win.
The Indians accounted for seven of their eight hits in the final two innings including three in a row to close out the game including a Trenton Walsh's RBI single and Davis' two-run double to end the day.
Things were looking good early for the visitors as TU scored a run in the first inning and three more in the second for a 4-0 lead. Zane Keener led off the game with a triple and scored on Jaden Steagall's RBI ground out back to the mound.
In the second inning, TU mounted a two-out rally as Fernandez legged out an infield single and three straight walks brought in the game's second run. Senior Ryan Kavulick came up with the hit of the inning with his two-out double.
Meanwhile, senior Justin Parker was pitching a gem in his final TU outing where he held the Indians hitless for the first 4.1 innings. Lyle Pfingst broke up the no-hit bid with his one-out bunt single in the fifth.
Catawba reliever Ryan Street was even more masterful as he came aboard in the fourth inning and retired all 12 batters he would face which included three strikeouts.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Perrell led off with a walk and Luke Spiva followed with a single to chase Parker out of the game. TU pitcher Drew Sliwinski, who also pitched in Saturday's first game, struck out Trenton Walsh for the inning's first out. Henderson Lentz followed with a RBI single and Wilkinson added a single to load the bases. Sliwinski came up with a strikeout, but pinch-hitter Zack Miller drew a walk to bring home the second run of the inning to trim the TU lead to 4-2.
In the seventh inning, Carlos Lara led off with single, but was forced out at second on Perrell's fielder's choice. Perrell stole second and moved to third on a TU error. Spiva walks to put runners on the corners. Mills came into pinch run at first base but was picked off by Sliwinski for the second out of the game. Walsh hit a single to center to bring home Perrell to cut the deficit to 4-3. Walsh stole second and moved to third on Lentz's infield single. Davis doubled to the gap in right center to bring home Walsh with the tying run and Lentz scored all the way from first with the winning score.
Street improved to 2-0 on the year, while Sliwinkski suffered the loss to go to 2-4 on the season
