HobbsDailyReport.com
MITCHELL
NEWTON – Graham Mitchell delivered a game-winning hit in the second game on Wednesday – breaking the career record for RBIs at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) – as the Red Hawks swept visiting Spartanburg Methodist.
CVCC won 9-5 and 4-3 at the Legion Fairgrounds, improving to 32-11, as Mitchell posted his 87th career RBI to pass former Red Hawks catcher Randal Ortiz (2015-16) for a school record.
Ranked No. 13 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll, the Red Hawks next play on Thursday, facing Rockingham Community College in a nine-inning game that starts at 6 p.m. at Henkel-Alley Field.
CVCC 9, Spartanburg Methodist 5
Capitalizing on eight hits and eight walks, the Red Hawks defeated the Pioneers in Wednesday’s first game.
CVCC scored at least one run in all but one inning.
Mitchell, the Red Hawks’ third baseman, drove in three runs — two a double in the top of the first inning.
CVCC center fielder Cory Watt added two hits and two RBIs while catcher Brett Macchia also had two hits, including a double in the second inning.
Red Hawks starting pitcher Matthew Dailey allowed three runs (two earned), four hits and struck out four in four innings.
Relievers Timothy Davila, Conner Hewell and Nic Messina closed out the final three innings, allowing a combined three hits and one walk.
CVCC 4, Spartanburg Methodist 3
Mitchell’s walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Red Hawks their 32nd win of the season (they won 31 games last season).
“It’s a special moment,” Mitchell said of his hit — his second walk-off this season. “A lot of great guys came through here before me and set a bar really high for us.
“Just to be kind of known in the record books alongside those guys means a lot to me. They made a great legacy here, and I just hope guys in the future can keep it going.”
Mitchell went 3-for-4, including a two-run single in the bottom of the third inning that helped propel CVCC to a 3-0 lead through six innings. Cody Payne also had an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Pioneers rallied in the top of the seventh inning to tie it, scoring two runs on a home run by John Phillip.
Donald Hansis’ game-tying, two-out double made it a 3-3 game heading to the bottom of the seventh inning.
CVCC responded in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back singles by Jimmy Marcelli and Garrison Burress to lead off the inning before Mitchell’s RBI single through the hole between shortstop and third base scored the winning run.
Marcelli went 3-for-3, while Payne was 2-for-3 with two singles.
Red Hawks starting pitcher Thomas Walden allowed no runs, four hits, six walks and struck out two in five innings. Greg Collins and Kevin Finzer finished the final two innings, giving up a combined five hits and one walk.
— Reported by CVCC Sports Information