Staff report

SALISBURY — Catawba’s softball team won its last three and eight of its last 11, but still didn’t get into the eight-team South Atlantic Conference Tournament.

Catawba swept a doubleheader from Coker on Friday for a 23-23 overall record and a 12-12 mark in the league. The Indians tied for seventh in the final standings with Emory & Henry and Mars Hill, but the Indians were the odd team out after a series of tiebreakers were employed on Saturday.

Emory & Henry won the first tiebreaker and the No. 7 seed by going 3-1 against Catawba and Mars Hill.

Catawba and Mars Hill split their doubleheader. The next tiebreaker used was how Catawba and Mars Hill did against the top seeds. Neither beat first-place Wingate, but Mars Hill did win one against second-place Lenoir-Rhyne, so the Lions were awarded the No. 8 seed.

Catawba won Friday’s first game 9-8 in eighth innings. Grace Flynn and Kary Hales homered. Rachel Pressley and Brianna Gallagher came through with key hits in the eighth inning. After Coker scored a run in the top of the eighth, Pressley tied it. Then Gallagher won it.

Catawba won 7-2 in the second game with Hales driving in three runs and Gallagher and Jordan McCorkle socking homers.

Catawba had an offensive-minded team that batted .343 with 65 homers and 85 doubles.

Hales, a senior from Carson, had an epic season, batting .452 with nine homers, 20 doubles and 49 RBIs.

 

 

SAC Tournament
Game 1 – Friday, April 25 | Games 2-3 (if needed) – Saturday, April 26, at Higher Seed

Series 1: #1 Wingate vs. #8 Mars Hill
Series 2: #2 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. #7 Emory & Henry
Series 3: #3 Lincoln Memorial vs. #6 Anderson
Series 4: #4 Carson-Newman vs. #5 Tusculum