Staff report

HICKORY — Catawba’s baseball team allowed a five-run lead to slip away, but all’s well that ends well.

The Indians scored five runs in the 13th inning to outlast Lenoir-Rhyne, 10-5, on Friday night in the opener of a weekend South Atlantic Conference series. The teams will play two games in Hickory today.

Heath Mitchem’s two-run single in the sixth broke a scoreless tie. Henderson Lentz, Bryce Butler and Jackson Raper singled in runs in the seventh for a 5-0 lead.

Undefeated Catawba starter Bryan Ketchie cruised on the mound for seven innings.

But Ketchie tired in the eighth.  Ketchie still had a 5-0 lead when he exited with the bases loaded, but the Bears were able to tie the score against Catawba closer Peyton Williams.

It stayed 5-all until the top of the 13th. That’s when Cameron Morrison drew a bases-loaded walk to put Catawba on top, 6-5. Then Hunter Shepherd, who was 0-for-5 when he stepped into the batter’s box, smashed a grand slam, his eighth homer of the season.

Riley Myers (5-0) was dominant on the mound for the Indians and worked all four extra innings. He struck out five, while allowing one hit.

Mitchem and Jeremy Simpson had three hits each for Catawba. Butler and Raper had two apiece.

Catawba (28-8, 13-3) stayed in second place in the SAC standings. Newberry (29-7) won again on Friday.