From staff reports

SALISBURY — Former West Rowan lefty Bryan Ketchie pitched brilliantly and Catawba baseball returned from a COVID pause to beat North Georgia 3-1 at Newman Park on Tuesday.

Catawba (13-4) was short-handed, but Ketchie made up for it. He struck out six while shutting out North Georgia for eight innings.

Jake Rowden’s solo homer, his first, was the highlight for Catawba’s offense. Hunter Shepherd had a run-scoring double, and Henderson Lentz (North Rowan) had the other RBI.

Shepherd and Zack Miller had two hits each.

Robbie Cowie allowed a homer in the ninth but nailed down the save.

Catawba plays a SAC doubleheader at Queens on  Saturday.

Catawba softball

  Catawba’s softball team split Tuesday’s South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Lenoir-Rhyne.

Catawba (17-7, 6-6) romped 9-1 in the opener behind two Jordan Dean homers and strong pitching by Brooke Walser (7-3), who didn’t allow an earned run.

Dean hit a two-run homer in the first and a three-run homer in the sixth.

    Brittany Ireland, Riley Tucker, Sydney Goertzen and Carlee Brawley had  two hits each.

• The Bears came back to take the nightcap 6-4 on Lora Beth Wood’s two-run homer in the seventh.

Bailey Benton homered for the Indians.

Catawba is home against Barton on Thursday.

Catawba golf

WILSON — Catawba took third place at the Barton Intercollegiate Women’s Golf Tournament, which concluded on Tuesday.

Catawba sophomore Alice Sylven shot 74-71 and was runner-up for the individual title. She made three birdies on Tuesday.