Area sports briefs: Catawba wins again in SAC baseball tournament
Published 12:27 am Sunday, April 28, 2019
From staff and wire reports
KODAK, Tenn. — Catawba lefty Bryan Ketchie pitched a complete-game shutout on Saturday night and led the Indians to an 8-0 victory against Lincoln Memorial in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament.
A second team All-SAC honoree, Ketchie (8-1) allowed five hits. The former West Rowan star struck out six and walked one.
Ketchie threw 122 pitches, including 89 strikes.
It was a more stressful night for the southpaw than the score sounds. Catawba didn’t score until the third and Ketchie protected a 1-0 lead until the fifth.
Catawba’s bats were quiet against LMU starter Mike Mullenbach, but once the Indians got into LMU’s bullpen, the runs piled up.
Third-seeded Catawba (40-12) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on Hunter Shepherd’s RBI single.
Shepherd came through with another RBI single in the sixth to make it 2-0.
The Indians made it 4-0 in the eighth on Bryce Butler’s sac fly and Heath Mitchem’s RBI single.
The Indians tacked on four more in the ninth on run-scoring hits by Jackson Raper and Jacob Nester and a two-run single by Mitchem.
Mitchem had two hits and three RBIs. Shepherd had three hits and two RBIs. Joe Butts had a terrific game with three hits and two steals.
Four teams are still alive in the double-elimination tournament — Catawba, top-seeded Newberry, Wingate and Lincoln Memorial. Games are scheduled for noon and 3:45 today. Catawba will be taking on Wingate or Newberry. Lincoln Memorial has already played Wingate in the tourney.
College baseball
Surry Community College’s Jacob Tuttle (A.L. Brown) pitched a complete game in Saturday’s 4-2 win against Thomas Nelson.
Tuttle threw 97 pitches. He struck out nine and walked one. He’s 3-0 in starts for Surry.
High school baseball
Wayne Mize’s walk-off single up the middle scored Charlie Klingler and gave East Rowan a 1-0 non-conference win against North Davidson on Saturday at Staton Field.
JD Basinger pitched six shutout innings for the Mustangs (15-9), who have won six in a row.
Bryson Wagner pitched the top of the seventh and was credited with the win.
East is the No. 2 seed for the North Piedmont Conference Tournament and gets a first-round bye.
East will play in the early semifinal game on Wednesday at West Rowan.
Intimidators
ROME, Ga.— Evan Skoug hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Luis Curbelo hit a two-run home run and had three hits, driving in four runs, as the Kannapolis Intimidators beat the Rome Braves 12-5 on Saturday.
The homer by Skoug scored Bryce Bush to give the Intimidators a 5-2 lead.
The Intimidators added five runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Kannapolis right-hander Jonathan Stiever (2-2) picked up a quality start and the win after allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings.
Kannapolis hit a season-high seven doubles in its victory.
Trey Harris singled three times and scored two runs for the Braves.
Pro baseball
Jerry Sands (Catawba) is having a good season for the Kiwoom Heroes in Korea Baseball League.
Sands is batting .345 with an on-base percentage of .450. He has three homers, 12 doubles and 24 RBIs.
Sands hit a grand slam on Wednesday.
Club softball
N.C. State’s club softball team won 3-2 against host Clemson in regional action on Saturday.
Former West Rowan standouts Peyton Greene and Parker Greene are members of the N.C. State team.
High school tennis
The Midwest 2A regional will be held on May 3-4 at Salisbury High.
CCC athletes will participate against those from the Mountain Valley, Rocky River, and Western Piedmont Athletic conferences.
Friday action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Singles
Jander Rodas (SAL)
Andy Casados (LEX)
Conner Ware (ED)
Devon Lane (WD)
Sam Kruse (LED)
Juan Salazar (SAL)
Eli McNeill (OAK)
Doubles
Chris Hartell & Brenner White (LED)
Hugh Bennett & Jake Crews (WD)
Ethan McGee & Leo Schiavina (SAL)
Roarke Burton & Sean Archer (SAL)
Gavin Freeman & Colton Horvath (ND)
Brayden Curry & Jose Santillian (LED)
Brian Sandoval & Jackson Rotan (OAK)