Baseball Drops Double-Header at Catawba

SALISBURY, N.C. – Mars Hill dropped a baseball double-header to South Atlantic Conference rival Catawba on Saturday. The Lions lost the first game 12-5 and then lost the nightcap, 8-7. MHU fell to 22-13 overall and 7-8 in the conference. The Indians improved to 20-11 on the year, 10-5 in the SAC.

Game 1: Catawba 12, Mars Hill 5

Evan Rogers went 3-4 with a homerun, a double and two runs scored to pace the Lions offensively in game one. Hunter Boydston took the loss (4-3) for Mars Hill on the mound.

Luke Setzer, Malachi Hanes and Chance Bowden each had four hits to lead Catawba at the plate. All of Bowden's hits were doubles. Russ Welker obtained the win (7-2) on the hill for the Indians.

A solo homerun by Rogers gave MHU a 1-0 advantage after the top of the first inning. Catawba answered scoring two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning. Catawba would not trail the remainder of the game.

Mars Hill tied the game at 2-all in the fourth inning when Dylan Powers hit a solo homerun to right field. The Indians regained the lead (4-2) in the bottom of the fourth frame scoring two runs on three hits highlighted by a solo homerun by Hanes.

Catawba extended their lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning when Hanes hit a two run homerun. The Indians then plated four runs in their sixth at-bat on three hits and one Lion error. Catawba added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before the Lions recorded three runs in their last at bat on the same number of hits to make the final tally 12-5 in favor of the hosts. Logan Conley and Dalton Eisenbath hit solo homeruns in the inning.

Game 2: Catawba 8, Mars Hill 7

Eisenbath went 4-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI to lead MHU offensively in game two. Conley was 3-3 with a double. Tom Mastrodonato suffered the loss (3-2) on the mound for the Lions.

Kyle Smith led Catawba at the plate going 2-3 with a homerun, a double and two RBI. Connor Johnson picked up the win (3-2) pitching 3.1 innings in relief.

The Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Rogers hit a two-run homerun. Rayshelon Carolina singled to start the contest.

Catawba scored a single run in the second inning and then took the lead for good in the third frame scoring four runs on three hits. Smith hit a three-run homerun in the at-bat.

Christian Stampler hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the fourth inning to plate Eisenbath and bring the Lions within two runs (5-3) of the Indians.

Catawba then added three insurance runs in the fifth inning on four hits highlighted by a two-RBI single by Jeremy Simpson. The Lions fought back scoring three runs in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to a single run (8-7) but that was as close they would get.

Mars Hill will host Lincoln Memorial in a SAC three-game series next weekend. The teams will play a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. and then meet for a double-header at 12 p.m. on Saturday.