Baseball

March 15, 2015

Bowden's Eighth-Inning Homer Propels Baseball To Sweep Of LMU

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Freshman Chance Bowden (Salisbury, N.C./Salisbury HS) homered twice, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth, as 28th-ranked Catawba finished a three-game sweep of Lincoln Memorial in South Atlantic Conference baseball action with an 8-7 win on Sunday afternoon at Newman Park.  The Catawba Indians improve to 19-4 overall and 11-3 in the SAC, winning for the 17th time in the last 18 games.  The Railsplitters fall to 12-10 and 9-6.

Catawba had led 6-1 after an inning before LMU rallied to grab a 7-6 lead on a solo home run from Ryan Burlison with one out in the seventh.  Dylan Richardson (Randleman, N.C./Randleman HS/Appalachian St.) led off the Catawba eighth with a double to chase Railsplitter starter Wes Todd.  Bowden sent the first pitch he saw from reliever Nick Morabito over the wall in right center to give the Indians the 8-7 edge.

Burlison got LMU out of further damage by stranding the bases loaded with a strikeout and a ground out.  Ryan McClintock (Matthews, N.C./Providence HS) sat down Lincoln Memorial in order in the ninth with two ground outs and a strikeout.

Will Albertson (Sophia, N.C./Randleman HS/Campbell) picked up hits in his first three at bats of the game to extend his streak of reaching base safely to a school-record 14 straight trips to the plate.  It bettered the record of 13 set by Curt Motsinger in 2002.

Catawba had zoomed to a 6-1 lead after an inning.  The first five Indian batters reached base with Albertson and Craig Brooks (Monroe, N.C./Parkwood HS) singling home runs.  Richardson plated a run on a ground out and Bowden followed with his first career homer, a three-run shot for the 6-1 edge.

LMU chipped away at the deficit.  Eric Kalman led off the second with a home run and Scott Miller did the same to open the third.  After a two out Catawba error later in the third, the Railsplitters scored three more runs to tie the game.  Wes Neiderland's infield hit got home the tying run.

Todd settled down after the rough first inning.  He allowed four more singles and walked two, but had sat down eight straight before giving up the leadoff double to Richardson in the eighth.  Moribito (3-1) would take the loss, facing just two batters.

Bowden joined Albertson with three hits for Catawba.  He had five RBI on his two home run swings.  Brooks had a pair of hits.  McClintock picked up the win in his first decision of the year.  He allowed just a walk with one strikeout over an inning and two-thirds of work.

Catawba steps out of conference on Tuesday, traveling to Barton for a 2 pm first pitch.

Box Score