Brunswick Commnity College’s Chris Graham (1) slides safely into home plate ahead of CVCC pitcher Julian Smith (24) during Saturday’s first game of a Region X doubleheader at the Legion Fairgrounds./CVCC PHOTO
HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – There will be some Sunday morning baseball coming for Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), closing a three-game series with Brunswick Community College.
The game has been moved up an hour – to 11 a.m. at the Legion Fairgrounds – because of a forecast for rainy weather.
The series began Saturday at Henkel-Alley Field with each team winning once.
CVCC won the first game 5-4 after wiping out an early three-run deficit and BCC won the second game 5-1, holding CVCC to one hit.
The Red Hawks are 29-11 overall and 11-4 in Region X heading into Sunday’s nine-inning game, and the Dolphins are 23-12, 12-3.
CVCC 5, Brunswick 4
The Red Hawks rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to win.
BCC scored three runs in the top of the third inning, including an RBI double by Scott McKeon and an RBI single from Zack Johnson.
After scoring a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI ground out by Cory Watt, CVCC took its first lead by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, including a sacrifice fly by Watt and an RBI double by Graham Mitchell.
The Dolphins tied it at 4 with an RBI double by McKeon in the top of the sixth inning.
Cody Payne’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave CVCC a win.
Red Hawks starting pitcher Julian Smith allowed nine hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and struck out five over five innings.
Relievers Timothy Davila and Nic Messina, the winning pitcher, closed out the final four innings, combining to allow two hits, one earned run. They issued four walks and struck out two.
Brunswick 5, CVCC 1
Dolphins starting pitcher Josh Jarman allowed just one hit, leading BCC to victory.
Jarman gave up a leadoff single to Watt in the bottom of the first inning before retiring 23 of the next 27 batters he faced. After stealing two bases, Watt scored on a ground out by Mitchell.
BCC took the lead for good on a two-run homer by McKeon in the top of the third inning.
The Dolphins added two late insurance runs in the top of the fourth inning, scoring on an RBI single by McKeon and a Red Hawks error.
CVCC starting pitcher Harry Hatcher suffered just his second loss of the season. He allowed eight hits, five runs (three earned), one walk and struck out one in 3 2/3 innings.
Red Hawks relief pitchers Matthew Dailey and Greg Collins closed out the final 3 1/3 innings, combining to give up three hits and no runs. Dailey and Collins also struck out four.
— Reported by CVCC Sports Information