Catawba sports information

MISENHEIMER — Catawba grabbed a 9-8, 10-inning win over host Pfeiffer in college baseball action here on Tuesday at Ferebee Field.

The win improves the Catawba record to 10-8 overall, while the Falcons fall to 7-14.

Dylan Richardson and Malachi Hanes combined for seven hits and four RBI in the middle of the batting order and Russ Weiker shut down Pfeiffer for 2 1/3 innings to claim the win. Weiker did not allow a hit as he lifted his record to 4-2.

Down 2-0 after three innings, Catawba took the lead with a five-run eruption in the fourth. Richardson tied the game with a two-run homer, the first of his four straight hits. He also walked in the 10th inning.

Later in the inning, the Indians loaded the bases on hits from Hanes and Luke Setzer and a two-out walk by Harrison Baucom.  Catawba took the lead when Jeremy Simpson walked to force home a run and Will Albertson followed with a two-run single and a 5-2 edge.

Pfeiffer chipped away at the deficit against Connor Johnson, who pitched into the sixth inning. The sophomore allowed five runs, but only two were earned as Catawba made three errors during the middle innings. The Falcons got one run back in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth with all being unearned. Pfeiffer retook the lead in the seventh on a two-out, two-run double by Tanner Mathis.

The Indians rallied in the eighth to tie the game. Richardson singled with two outs and Hanes followed with a RBI double. Weiker had entered to get the final out of the seventh and tossed scoreless frames in the eighth and the ninth as Catawba headed to extra innings for the fourth time in the last eight games.

Albertson started the 10th inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second. Richardson walked to bring up Hanes, who singled to left to score Albertson and give Catawba the lead. Chance Bowden was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Setzer delivered a key insurance run on a sacrifice fly.

Bryan Blanton closed the game on the mound to earn his first save. He hit a batter to start the inning before retiring two batters on a fly out and a pop out. Jordan Eckard kept the game alive for the Falcons with a two-out double to cut the margin to 9-8, but Blanton fanned Zach Scudder to end the game.

Hanes followed Richardson with three hits and also collected a pair of RBI. Baucom picked up two hits and Albertson drove in two, as did Setzer.

Eckard had three hits to lead Pfeiffer. Mathis, Derek Perry and Brandall Peters all had two hits each. Hunter Jobe (0-3) took the loss, pitching the 10th inning for the Falcons.

Catawba returns to action this evening, hosting Lock Haven at 6 o’clock at Newman Park.

Catawba             000  510   010  2 — 9   12   3

Pfeiffer               020  120  200   1 — 8   12   1

WP — Russ Weiker (4-2).   LP — Hunter Jobe (0-3).  SV — Bryan Blanton (1).  HR — Catawba: Richardson (3).