Logan Bender allowed just three hits and had eight strikeouts on Saturday as Catawba Valley Community College won over visiting Pitt Community College in Region X baseball. The 3-1 win came in Saturday’s second game, and Pitt won 2-of-3 at Henkel-Alley Field during the weekend to leave the Red Hawks at 6-7./CODY DALTON, CATAWBA VALLEY ATHLETICS
HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) will head into this week in baseball a game under .500 after falling in two of three weekend games against Pitt Community College.
CVCC SCHEDULE: http://gocvcc.com/sports/bsb/2018-19/schedule
CVCC STATS: http://gocvcc.com/sports/bsb/2018-19/teams/catawbavalleycommunitycollege?view=lineup&r=0&pos=
Pitt won Sunday’s game 6-3 after winning 2-1 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at the Legion Fairgrounds.
CVCC (6-7, 2-3 Region X) won Saturday’s nightcap 3-1.
The Red Hawks are at home on Tuesday at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader against Spartanburg Methodist.
Pitt 6, CVCC 3 (Sunday)
The Bulldogs (7-3-1, 2-1) got solo home runs from Chandler Blackwelder, Joey Goldsmith and Garrett Tyndall two in.
Pitt led 2-0 early, scoring on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and on Blackwelder’s solo blast in the sixth inning.
The Red Hawks scored in the bottom of the sixth inning when Garrison Burress’ single drove in Trent Jones.
Opening a four-run lead, the Bulldogs scored three runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Goldsmith homered and Josh Netterville had an RBI single in the seventh inning, and Caleb Morris added an RBI single in the eighth.
CVCC scoring twice in the eighth inning, on RBI singles by Jackson Brown and Jones.
Brown led the Red Hawks by going 3-for-4 while Jones had two hits, one RBI and scored a run and third baseman Jamie Sheek also had two hits and a run scored.
Tyndall’s solo home run in the ninth inning expanded Pitt’s lead back to three runs, and Bulldogs closer Noah Jones retired the final five batters to gain his third save of the season.
CVCC starting pitcher Trae Starnes suffered his second loss of the season after allowing five hits, two runs (one earned), one walk with five strikeouts over six innings.
CVCC 3, Pitt 1 (Saturday)
Behind timely hitting and a stout pitching from red-shirt sophomore Logan Bender, the Red Hawks earned a two-run victory.
Bender allowed just three hits, one unearned run, two walks and struck out eight to earn his second victory of the season.
Pitt took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on an RBI single by Blackwelder that scored Netterville.
CVCC tied it in the first inning when Tyler Campbell’s groundball out scored R.J. Conner.
The Red Hawks scored the game-winning runs in the bottom of the third inning, including Conner’s first collegiate home run and an infield RBI single by freshman catcher Cole Chapman.
Red Hawks receiver Nic Messina closed out the final two innings, allowing no hits, no runs, no walks and striking out four batters to earn his second save.
Pitt 2, CVCC 1 (Saturday)
Despite a dominant pitching performance from freshman Blake Dockery, the Red Hawks fell shot in the first Saturday game.
Dockery tied a school record with 14 strikeouts in six innings. He allowed only three hits, two walks and one earned run — a solo home run by Pitt left fielder Austin LaFollette in the fourth inning that opened the game’s scoring.
CVCC tied it at 1 in the fifth inning when Burress scored from third base on a wild pitch.
After Netterville led the eighth inning off with a triple, the Bulldogs gained the lead for good after Mikey Polansky drove in Netterville on a sacrifice fly.
The Red Hawks managed to get the tying run to second base during the ninth inning, but a fly out by Burress to center field ended the game.
— Reported by CVCC Sports Information