From staff reports
Catawba’s baseball team opened Southeast Regional play on Thursday afternoon with a dramatic 2-1 victory against Francis Marion.
The fifth-seeded Indians (41-13) were shut out until the ninth and were down to their final out when Brett Underwood lined a first-pitch single past a diving third baseman to score pinch-runner Keaton Hawks from second base with the tying run.
Austin Moyer singled sharply up the middle with one out. Hawks ran for Moyer and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Josh Hohn singled home the decisive run in the 10th for the 19th-ranked Indians. Julio Zubillaga (Carson) singled to open the inning and was sacrificed to second by Ryan Bostian (South Rowan). Zubillaga scored easily on Hohn’s single to left.
Francis Marion starter Don Sandifer, the Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, blanked Catawba until the ninth.
Nick Lomascolo (9-3), SAC Pitcher of the Year, worked all 10 innings for the Indians and scattered four hits. He walked one and shut out the second-seeded Patriots after they scored a smallball run in the first inning.
Underwood was the only player on either team with two hits. There were only 11 hits in the game, none for extra bases.
Catawba plays against UNC Pembroke tonight at Mount Olive at 7 p.m.
Other opening games in the double-elimination event:
No. 3 UNCP 6, No. 4 Columbus St. 0
Josh Bagley struck out 13 and tossed a two-hit shutout, while Keith Whitman hit two homers. It was the first-ever regional game for Pembroke.
No. 1 Mount Olive 6, No. 6 Wingate 0
Carter Capps tossed a three-hit shutout for his 23rd straight win, a D-II record.