#3 Baseball takes down Shippensburg in home opener

Salisbury, N.C. —- The 3rd-ranked Catawba College baseball team utilized a great start from graduate student Austin Fine to a 6-4 victory over visiting Shippensburg in the team's home opener on Friday in game one of a three-game set at Newman Park.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Shippensburg out-hit Catawba 11-6

- The Raiders had five extra-base hits to Catawba's two; Ship also had the lone homer

- Catawba left six runners on base, while Shippensburg stranded 10

- The Catawba Indians stole two of three bases in the game

- Catawba's pitchers allowed four earned runs on 11 hits and three walks, striking out five; the Raiders' staff allowed six earned runs on six hits and four walks, striking out seven

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Fine threw eight innings, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks, striking out five

- Joe Burleyson earned his first collegiate save, leading the bases loaded and the tying run on second base

- Matthew Connolly went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored

- Ty Hubbard drove in a run on a double and scored

- Cooper Bryson drove in two runs and Cole Hales scored twice

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Shippensburg's Carter Hinds homered on the first at-bat of the game, the only run the Raiders would be able to scratch against Fine

FOURTH INNING

- Hubbard kickstarted a two-out rally with a double off the wall in right center to score Hunter Atkins from first

- Connolly lined a singled to right center to score Hubbard and take the lead

- Bryson placed a hit-and-run groundball perfectly through the right side, scoring another

- Connolly scored on a wild pitch to take a 4-1 lead against Shippensburg's Preseason All-American starting pitcher Jaxon Dalena

SIXTH INNING

- A Hales single and a Connolly double put runners on second and third for Catawba with one out in the sixth

- Bryson grounded a ball to shortstop and the throw sailed high, scoring Hales on an RBI fielder's choice

- Chrismon placed a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to score more insurance with Catawba on top 6-1

NINTH INNING

- A leadoff single and a double put runners on second and third with no outs for the Raiders

- Two RBI groundouts brought Shippensburg within three runs

- Two singles and a hit-by-pitch brought the go-ahead run to the plate and Burleyson into the ballgame

- A walk scored Shippensburg's third run of the inning and brought the tying run to second base, but the freshman reliever forced a groundout back to the mound and shut the Raiders' rally down to earn the save

GAME NOTES

- Catawba's fourth straight win in the home opener

- Catawba wins its 40th game over Shippensburg in 48 games, each coming at Newman Park

- The Catawba Indians have won 15 of the last 16 matchups with the Raiders

- Fine's 20th career win for Catawba, bringing him to a tie for 21st in program history

 - Fine's fifth career outing of eight-plus innings

UP NEXT

- Catawba and Shippensburg return for game two of a three-game set at Newman Park tomorrow with first pitch set for 1 p.m.; the team will be honored with its championship rings at approximately 12:30 p.m.