Staff report
SALISBURY – Top-seeded Catawba and second-seeded Wingate have advanced to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship series.
Both teams went 3-0 to win their four-team brackets. Wingate won high-scoring games – 7-6 in 11 innings against Newberry and 9-5 and 12-11 against Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Indians (41-9) and Bulldogs (37-16) will play a best-of-three series at Asheboro’s McCrary Park on May 8-9 to decide the tournament winner.
Catawba had a tough game at Newman Park with Lincoln Memorial on Saturday.
The Indians didn’t score until Matt Connolly (West Rowan) delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Connolly’s hit plated Jake Dunlap and Sam Hunter.
Casey Gouge (West Rowan) pitched into the eighth inning and held the Railsplitters to one run. Seth Sharpe relieved in the eighth and pitched the ninth. He was credited with the win.
LMU 000 100 000 – 1
Catawba 000 000 002 – 2
W – Sharpe (8-1).
***
The Indians had an easier time on Sunday, routing Coker 10-0 in seven innings.
Coker lost 11-3 to Catawba on Friday, but was able to eliminate Mars Hill and Lincoln Memorial to get to the championship game.
Nathan Chrismon (South Rowan) had five RBIs with a run-scoring double and two run-scoring singles for the Indians. Connolly, Logan Dyer (East Rowan), Brandon Crabtree, Hunter Atkins and Malachi Cloud had two hits. Cloud hit a home run.
Kemper Nix struck out 13, with no walks, and pitched into the seventh.
Coker 000 000 0 – 0
Catawba 031 121 2 -10
HR – Cloud (4).
W – Nix (2-0).
