NEWBERRY, S.C. – Center fielder Spence Southard and shortstop Chad Hill paced Catawba College as the Indians defeated the regular season South Atlantic Conference champ Carson-Newman 5-2 in Sunday’s tournament finale of the 2002 Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament at Kirkland Field held at Newberry College. Both players were 3-for-4 and Southard had a game-high four RBI as he knocked in Hill three times. Catawba never lost a game (4-0) in the four-day event, a 14-game tournament which saw only four games decided by four or more runs.

The Indians (30-21) got on the board first in the fourth inning, when Hill hit a leadoff infield single and stole second base. With one out, Southard singled to right center, plating Hill for the 1-0 lead.

Catawba struck gold again in the fifth, with a little help from the Eagles. Second baseman Josh Jordan drew a two-out walk and scored on a wacky play that followed. Right fielder Israel Morrow singled to right center and Eagles right fielder Heath Mason tried to get Jordan going to third, but his throw got away from third baseman Ryan Haun and wedged under the fence when the Eagles tried to recover the ball. This wedged ball awarded Jordan home plate and the Indians extended a 2-2 lead.

The Eagles (39-17) got on the board in the sixth inning. Second baseman Jim Higgins smacked a leadoff double to right field and left fielder Aaron Shaffer belted a one-out, two-run homer down the left field line to tie the game at 2-2.

Carson-Newman was allowed no closer as the Indians retook the lead in the bottom of the inning. Southard knocked in his second RBI of the afternoon when he drove in Hill, who hit a leadoff double to left center. Southard had the crushing blow in the eighth, a two-RBI double to right center to push across Hill and right fielder Curt Motsinger.

Both starters played championship-caliber baseball. Carson-Newman’s Derrick Collins lasted five innings, allowing just four hits and two walks. Catawba scored one earned and one unearned run off him.

Catawba’s Matt Fairweather got the win in the championship (5-1). He pitched seven and one-third innings of five hit, one walk ball, allowing both Eagles runs, which were earned on the home run.

The loss was charged to Eagles reliever Brad Schrock (7-4), who have up an earned run in his inning of work on two hits.

Catawba’s Spencer Anthony finished the ballgame with an inning and a third of one-hit, one walk baseball as he picked up his first save of the season.

Catawba and Carson-Newman now await word of NCAA post-season play.

Food Lion / SAC Spring Sports Festival – Game 14 –TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
Carson-Newman Coll. vs Catawba Indians
Apr 28, 2002 at Newberry, S.C. (Kirkland Field)

  Carson-Newman Eagles 2 (39-17)                Catawba Indians 5 (30-21)

  Player                      AB  R  H BI       Player                      AB  R  H BI
  ---------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------
  Jim Higgins 2b.............  4  1  1  0       Morrow lf..................  4  0  1  0
  Wes Ward c.................  2  0  0  0       Reynolds 3b................  4  0  0  0
  Aaron Shaffer lf...........  4  1  1  2       Hill ss....................  4  3  3  0
  Heath Mason rf.............  2  0  0  0       Motsinger rf...............  3  1  1  0
  Jared Hubbard ss...........  4  0  1  0       Southard cf................  4  0  3  4
  Jason Southerland 1b.......  4  0  2  0       Matt Smith 1b..............  3  0  0  0
  Jason Lineberger dh........  4  0  0  0       Baker dh...................  4  0  0  0
  Nathan Gravley cf..........  4  0  1  0       Robbins c..................  4  0  1  0
  Ryan Haun 3b...............  3  0  0  0       Jordan 2b..................  1  1  1  0
  Derrick Collins p..........  0  0  0  0       Fairweather p..............  0  0  0  0
   Brad Schrock p............  0  0  0  0        Abdelnour p...............  0  0  0  0
   Chad Wallace p............  0  0  0  0        Anthony p.................  0  0  0  0
   Matt Huskey p.............  0  0  0  0
  Totals..................... 31  2  6  2       Totals..................... 31  5 10  4

  Score by Innings                    R  H  E
  -------------------------------------------
  Carson-Newman Coll.. 000 002 000 -  2  6  1
  Catawba Indians..... 000 111 02X -  5 10  0
  -------------------------------------------

  E - Mason. DP - C-N Eagles 1. LOB - C-N Eagles 8; Catawba 6. 2B - Higgins;
  Southerland; Hill 2; Motsinger; Southard. HR - Shaffer. HBP - Ward; Mason. SH -
  Ward; Matt Smith; Jordan. SB - Hill; Motsinger; Southard. CS - Mason.

  Carson-Newman Coll.            IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Derrick Collins ...........   5.0  4  2  1  2  2   0  0  0  0   18 20   8  4
  Brad Schrock  L,7-4........   1.0  2  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0    5  5   1  2
  Chad Wallace ..............   1.0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0    3  4   1  2
  Matt Huskey ...............   1.0  3  2  2  0  1   0  0  0  0    5  6   1  1

  Catawba Indians                IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Fairweather  W,5-1.........   7.1  5  2  2  1  4   0  0  2  0   25 29   6 11
  Abdelnour .................   0.1  0  0  0  1  1   0  0  0  1    1  2   0  0
  Anthony  S,1...............   1.1  1  0  0  1  0   1  0  0  0    5  6   1  3

  WP - Anthony. HB - Fairweather 2. PB - Ward.

  Strikeouts - Shaffer 2; Southerland; Gravley; Haun; Motsinger; Baker; Robbins. Walks
  - Higgins; Mason; Haun; Motsinger; Jordan.

  Start: 12:01 pm   Time: 2:16   Attendance: 133