HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – A 10-game win streak is on the table for Catawba Valley Community College’s baseball team the next time it takes the field.
The Red Hawks swept visiting Lenoir Community College 10-0 in six innings and 11-3 in seven innings on Sunday at the Legion Fairgrounds, extending their win streak to nine games.
CVCC plays a home doubleheader on Wednesday at 1 p.m., facing USC Salkehatchie at Henkel-Alley Field.
The Red Hawks are ranked No. 17 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll. They are 27-9 overall and 10-3 in Region X, and Lenoir Community College dropped to 18-8, 6-7.
CVCC 10, Lenoir CC 0
Behind dominant pitching by Julian Smith and David Graves and Cory Watt each driving in three runs, the Red Hawks won Sunday’s first game.
Smith, a sophomore, allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out 11 to gain his sixth victory of the season.
Graves, Watts and Garrison Burress each hit a home run for CVCC.
The Red Hawks gained a 2-0 lead after a balk in the second inning scored Graham Mitchell, who also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning.
Graves’ two-run blast to left field in the bottom of the third inning made it 4-0.
Watt followed suit with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning and, two batters later, Burress connected on a two-run home run to make it 9-0.
Graves capped off three-hit day with an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring Watt to end the game via the run rule.
CVCC 11, Lenoir CC 3
Mitchell homered twice and Cody Payne drove in five runs, helping the Red Hawks complete a sweep of the Lancers.
CVCC pulled ahead 3-0 early by scoring one run in each of the first three innings, including an RBI single by Payne in the bottom of the second inning and a solo home run to left field by Mitchell in the bottom of the third inning.
The Lancers rallied to pull within 3-2 with a two-run double by Michael Bunchino in the top of the fourth inning.
CVCC second baseman Jimmy Marcelli responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI single, and he scored later in the inning on a single by Kyran Russ.
Coy Barnett’s solo home run in the top of the fifth inning pulled Lenoir within 5-3 through five innings.
The Red Hawks closed out their victory with six late insurances runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, including a two-run home run by Mitchell and a grand slam from Payne.
Sophomore pitcher Harry Hatcher picked up his fifth win of the season for CVCC. He pitched five innings, allowing five hits, three runs (one earned), one walk and he struck out four.
Nic Messina and Kevin Finzer pitched in relief of Hatcher, tossing one inning each. They combined to give up one hit and strike out three.
- Reported by CVCC Sports Information