Saturday, March 12, 2005
CATAWBA
SWEEPS BLUE HOSE
SALISBURY, N.C. -- Catawba
returned home to the friendly confines of Newman Park and
combined excellent pitching in game one with clutch hitting in
game two to sweep visiting Presbyterian College 2-0 and 6-4 in
a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon
in NCAA Division II baseball action.
The Indians (19-10, 4-1 SAC) saw senior starting pitcher Matt
Fairweather (Lenoir, NC) toss eight shutout innings,
allowing only seven hits while walking no one, and striking
out four batters en route to the game one win.
The only two runs scored by the Indians came in the fourth
when third baseman Zack Evans (Greensboro, NC) hit a
leadoff homer to left center to get the first run of the game.
Second baseman Matt Baker (Charlotte, NC) then smacked
a double to right center and later scored on a wild pitch by
Blue Hose starter Ryan Ariail (Elgin,
SC).
Those runs were the only scoring in a nine-inning affair that lasted just over two hours. Evans slid into the closer’s role in the ninth to get the save. Ariail took the loss for PC, which drops to 6-19 and 0-4 in the SAC with the losses.
Game two had a little more offense, with each team belting
a grand slam. Catawba got the first one in the third inning,
when designated hitter Aaron Rimer (Salisbury, NC)
crushed a Chris
Cornelison (Roswell, GA) pitch to deep left with one
out. First baseman Matt Smith (Browns Summitt, NC) was
drilled in the head on the next pitch, prompting PC to lift
the hurler. Catawba extended the lead with two more runs off
the bat of Rimer in the fifth, when he sent a Robert
Cook (Clinton, SC) pitch off the right centerfield
wall to score the pair on a double. After an 0-for-2 start in
game one, Rimer finished game two 2-for-3 with a run scored
and all six runs batted in.
The Blue Hose did not go quietly in the nightcap.
Presbyterian started the sixth with a single, a walk and a hit
batter to load the bases up for designated hitter Lance
Howard (Simpsonville, SC), who deposited a Jeff
Abdelnour (Cohoes, NY) pitch over the left field fence to
make it 6-4 Indians. Tim Smith (Walnut Cove, NC) came
on and finished the sixth, and Evans again closed game two to
get the save for the sweep. Abdelnour got the win for Catawba.
Cornelison took the loss for the Blue Hose.
Matt Baker had the most consistent for the Indians,
combining for a 3-for-6 day in the two games, scoring three
runs. Shortstop Evan Sowell (Chesterfield,
SC) was the only Blue Hose player to get more than two hits,
finishing 3-for-8 on the day.
PC returns to Newman Park for the Sunday finale against the
Indians, with a first pitch set for 1 p.m.