Catawba baseball tops Cal (Pa.)

Staff report

Catawba's baseball team swept a doubleheader from visiting California (Pa.) on Monday, winning the opener 6-5 and taking the second game 11-4.

The 17th-ranked Indians (3-0) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first game but needed a two-out, walkoff single from Wade Moore to prevail.

Moore registered six steals, drew seven walks and reached base 11 times in the two game. He's reached in 15 of 17 plate appearances this season.

Craige Lyerly had one hit in the opener — a sixth-inning single — and went 4-for-5 in Game 2 to push his hitting streak to 38 straight games.

n In the opener, Cal tied the game with a three-run top of the ninth, In the bottom of the ninth, Michael Tancini hit into a fielder's choice after a single by Corey Parker and moved to second on a wild pitch. Moore (two hits, four walks, two RBIs in Game 1) followed with a single off the wall in center.

Moore drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. Josh Hohn hit an RBI single in the third, and Garrett Furr knocked in a run with a fielder's choice. Moore scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.

The Vulcans did not get a hit off Catawba starter Trevor Mullins until the sixth inning.

He allowed no runs and three hits while striking out six batters in 61/3 innings.

Cal scored two times in the eighth, and Catawba led 5-2 heading to the ninth thanks to a bases-loaded walk from Hohn. Cal's Troy Handza singled home two runs and scored on a throwing error to tie the game.

Travis McSweeney, Catawba's sixth pitcher, got the win.

n A five-run sixth inning put Catawba in control of the second game. Moore finished with four steals, three runs and two hits.

Catawba had taken a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Lyerly (three runs, two steals, one triple) led off with a bunt single, swiped second and scored on a Hohn double.

Two errors helped the Indians in the sixth. Moore stole second and scored on a bad throw as he stole third. Another error kept the inning going, and Cameron White singled in a run. Furr then delivered a two-run double.

Freshman Nick Lomascolo earned the win. He allowed two runs and six hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out seven.