Catawba Valley Community College catcher Brett Macchia, who played prep baseball at South Caldwell, tags a runner out at the plate in the first game Saturday against Wake Tech./CVCC PHOTO
HobbsDailyReport.com
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) goes for its seventh straight baseball victory on Sunday after sweeping Wake Tech on the road in a doubleheader on Saturday.
The Red Hawks, ranked No. 17 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll, won 6-1 in nine innings and 6-4 in seven innings to run their win streak to six games and improve to 17-7.
Sunday’s game at Ting Stadium will be nine innings and will start at noon.
CVCC 6, Wake Tech 1, 9 inn.
The Red Hawks scored three runs each in the sixth and eighth innings and held off a late charge by the Eagles.
The game was scoreless through five innings and the Red Hawks scored three runs in the sixth inning — led by an RBI single from sophomore Graham Mitchell down the third base line that scored freshman shortstop Garrison Burress.
Two batters later, David Graves connected on an 0-2 pitch, hitting a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left center field — his fourth of the season — to extend CVCC’s advantage to 3-0.
A solo home run by Wake Tech’s Martin Cervinka in the seventh inning ended the shutout bid for CVCC starting pitcher Julian Smith, who had another dominating outing. Smith struck out 10 batters and allowed just one hit, one earned run and three walks to earn his fourth victory of the season.
The Red Hawks added three insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning when Cody Payne’s double down the third base line scored Rod Munoz and Mitchell, and Cory Watt followed with an RBI single to score Payne.
Wake Tech loaded the bases in the eighth and ninth innings, but Red Hawks closer Kevin Finzer worked out of jams unscathed.
CVCC 6, Wake Tech 4, 7 inn.
Graves and Munoz hit home runs and Harry Hatcher delivered a stout pitching performance as the Red Hawks completed a sweep.
CVCC jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Garrison Burress that scored Watt.
The Red Hawks added five runs in the sixth inning, including an RBI double from Kyran Russ, an RBI single from Mitchell and home runs from Munoz (solo) and Graves (two-run).
Hatcher threw a complete game, giving up eight hits and three walks, and he struck out eight.
All four of Hatcher’s earned runs came in the sixth and seventh innings, where Wake Tech once again had its comeback bid cut short.
- Reported by CVCC Sports Information