Baseball Beats Catawba in Series Opener
Zac Brown threw a complete game to lead the Lions baseball team to a 3-1 victory over Catawba, Saturday afternoon at Henderson Field.
MARS HILL, N.C. – Zac Brown threw a complete game to lead the Lions baseball team to a 3-1 victory over Catawba, Saturday afternoon at Henderson Field. Mars Hill improved to 23-17 overall and 9-7 in the league. The Indians fell to 25-11 on the season, 11-5 in the South Atlantic Conference.
Brown threw nine innings scattering seven hits, allowing only a single run while striking out nine batters to improve to 4-3 on the mound. He walked a single batter and gave up only one extra base hit. Catawba entered today's contest leading the SAC in team batting average (.355). Gray McCurry went 1-3 with a homerun while Daniel Vitello went 1-3 with a double to lead the Lions' offense.
Luke Setzer went 2-4 with a run scored to pace the Indians at the plate. Russ Weiker took the loss (2-3) on the mound for Catawba.
Chance Bowden singled to right field in the Indians first at-bat to plate Setzer and give Catawba a 1-0 advantage. Hunter Merrill scored from third base on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-all in the bottom half of the first inning and then Christian Stampler hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Vitello and give MHU the lead for good, 2-1.
McCurry led off the seventh frame with a solo homerun to left field to add an insurance run for the Lions. Brown held strong down the stretch to hold on to the 3-1 victory.
The teams will conclude the SAC three game series tomorrow with a double-header. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
