Baseball Day One: Catawba Over Tusculum; Presbyterian Rolls Over Newberry; Wingate Routs Lenoir-Rhyne; Carson-Newman Moves Past Mars Hill
April 24, 2003

Courtesy Newberry College Sports Information Office

Catawba Uses Five Hits Effectively in Round One 3-2 Win over TC

Barkley Tosses Second Complete Game-Shutout As PC Rolls Over Newberry, 9-0

Wingate Scores Early and Often in 10-3 Tourney Rout of Lenoir-Rhyne

Wallace Mows Down 13 as Carson-Newman Moves Past Mars Hill, 3-0

Catawba Uses Five Hits Effectively in Round One Win over TC
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – A two-run blast by designated hitter Chad Hill (Bennett, N.C.) in the eighth inning of play lifted the number-five seeded Catawba College Indians to a first round tournament victory 3-2 over the number-four seed Tusculum College Pioneers at the Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament at Kirkland Field Thursday morning.

Catawba advances on in the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament to play tomorrow at 12:45 against the Carson-Newman/Mars Hill winner of Thursday's game four. Tusculum takes on the other team from that match-up at Newberry High School also at 12:45 p.m.

Catawba (29-23) also got a complete-game outing from staff ace Zach Snyder (Lexington, N.C.). The junior threw nine strong innings, scattering just eight hits from the top-hitting club in the regular season, and allowed two walks. He fanned a season-high 14 batters in the contest to get the win (8-4).

The Indians scored a run in the first inning when Hill, who hit a one-out single to left, came around to the plate on an RBI double by first baseman Matt Baker (Charlotte, N.C.).

Tusculum (29-17) answered with a solo homer by right fielder Tim Wallin (Springfield, Ill.) to tie the game. The Pioneers took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with another run. Shortstop Robbie Bouman (Sterling, Va.) hit a leadoff double in the right center field gap and came around to score on an RBI single by left fielder Josh Wolff (Louisville, Ky.).

The Tusculum lead held until the eighth. Right fielder Nick Lefko (Faith, N.C.) hit a one-out double to left center and scored on the Hill homer.

Tusculum starter Brian Lovett (Knoxville, Tenn.) allowed only five hits all day in eight innings of work and was the hard-luck recipient of the loss (7-3). He turned away eight straight batters at one point in the day He walked four and struck out eight Indians.

Barkley Tosses Second Complete Game-Shutout As PC Rolls
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – Presbyterian senior ace Richard Barkley (Sumter, S.C.) tossed a complete-game five-hit shutout to get number-three seeded PC to an opening round win 9-0 over the sixth-seeded host school Newberry College in round one of the Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament at Kirkland Field Thursday afternoon.

The Blue Hose (23-25) jumped out to a quick lead with two runs in the second against Newberry freshman starter Russell Haltiwanger (Simpsonville, S.C.). Two leadoff hits and then an RBI double by PC catcher Dusty New (Abbeville, S.C.) put the first of the two runs on the board. First baseman Matt Warren (Lexington, S.C.) then knocked in his first of four RBI with a sacrifice fly to score left fielder Tombo Hite (Abbeville, S.C.) in the third to make it 3-0 PC.

Barkley was in control the entire afternoon, facing the minimum through four innings of play. He logged seven strikeouts on the afternoon and walked nobody in his ninth victory of the season (9-2). His record improved to 7-0 with a miniscule 1.04 ERA in eight games against SAC schools this season.

The Indians (24-28) got runners to second base three times in the last five innings, but no one touched third on the day. Senior right fielder Gene Dotson (Savannah, Ga.) was the lone Newberry player with a multi-hit day, going 2-for-4 with a pair on singles.

Warren made the game academic in the seventh when he blasted a three-run homer the opposite way to right center to make it 7-0. The Indians committed a pair of errors to allow two unearned runs in the ninth.

Haltiwanger took the loss (6-3). In his six innings, he allowed just three earned runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out four batters.

PC advances to tomorrow morning’s 9 a.m. winner’s bracket game against the winner of the Lenoir-Rhyne/Wingate game to take place later Thursday afternoon. Newberry will battle the other team at Newberry High School, also at 9 a.m.

Wingate Scores Early and Often in 10-3 Tourney Rout of Lenoir-Rhyne
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – First baseman Sherman Greer (Stanfield, N.C.) had a homer and a game-high three RBI, while designated hitter Chad Emery (Fairview, N.C.) launched a home run of his own and drew a walk on a 2-for-3 day at the plate as the number-two Wingate Bulldogs ran away from the number-seven seeded Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, 10-3, at the Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament at Kirkland Field Thursday evening.

Wingate will take on number-three seed Presbyterian College Friday morning at 9 a.m. at Newberry College, while Lenoir-Rhyne takes on number-six Newberry at Newberry High School at 9 a.m. Friday.

The Bulldogs (29-21) also had a brilliant day from starter Josh Flynn (Wilmington, N.C.). The junior tossed a complete-game 10-hitter with five walks and a hit batsman. He struck out seven and earned two of the three L-R runs in the victory (4-4).

Wingate got its first run across when leadoff hitter Andrew Brockington (Florence, S.C.) drew a walk, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a single by Greer. Wingate added three more runs in the third, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth, two coming on Greer’s blast to center field. Emery hit his two-run shot in the seventh to give the Bulldogs a 10-1 lead.

Lenoir-Rhyne (21-24) scored an unearned run in the seventh on Wingate’s fourth error of the day. In the ninth inning, L-R drew a walk and hit three singles to score two runs, but the rally was quelled on a strikeout and two groundouts to end the game.

L-R starter Bobby Kennett (Lemon Bay, Fla.) took the loss (3-6). He lasted five and one-third innings, allowing nine hits and four walks, with four strikeouts. He gave up seven runs (six were earned) on the afternoon.

Right fielder Brian Neill (Charlotte, N.C.) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Bears.

Wallace Mows Down 13 as Carson-Newman Moves Past Mars Hill, 3-0
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – Carson-Newman lefty John Wallace (Marietta, Ga.) struck out 13 Mars Hill batters in the fourth complete game pitched on day one of the Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament at Kirkland field Thursday as the Eagles won 3-0. The regular-season champ Eagles move on to face number-five seeded Catawba Friday afternoon at 12:45 at Newberry College. The Lions will face fourth-seeded Tusculum at the same time at Newberry High School.

Carson-Newman (30-19) scored an unearned run in the first when second baseman Brett Lindsey (Maryville, Tenn.) reached on one of three Mars Hill errors for the day. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on an RBI groundout by right fielder Nathan Gravley (Cartersville, Ga.).

Wallace controlled the Mars Hill offense with six strikeouts of the first seven Lions he faced. Wallace did not allow a hit until the fifth when Adam Hunter (Mars Hill, N.C.) reached on a single to center field.

Carson-Newman scored another unearned run in the fourth when designated hitter Adam Kuzma (Fairfield, Ohio) reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced on a throwing error. He then moved to third on a single and scored on a botched play by the Lions in the outfield.

The Eagles put up their final score in the fifth, the only earned run of the ballgame. Center fielder Nick Jacobs (Knoxville, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on an infield hit. He crossed the plate on an infield RBI hit by Lindsey.

Mars Hill (13-30) was stymied by Wallace, but did have chances, leaving six runners on base. The Lions also got a complete-game performance from their starter Chris Merchant (Ft. Royal, Va.) who took the loss (3-4). In his eight innings, he scattered seven hits with no walks and five punchouts while lowering his season ERA by a half-run a game.