#9 Baseball blanks Coker in series opener

Salisbury, N.C. —- The 9th-ranked Catawba College baseball team pitched a shutout in the Friday night series opener versus visiting Coker at Newman Park in South Atlantic Conference baseball action.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit Coker 8-7

- The Cobras hit the lone extra-base hit

- Coker also committed the only error in the game

- The Cobras left six runners on base; the Catawba Indians stranded seven

- Catawba stole two of three bases in the game

- The Catawba Indian pitchers threw a shutout on seven hits and three walks, striking out five; Coker's staff allowed two earned runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out eight

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Austin Fine bounced back with a stellar performance, throwing 7.2 shutout innings, striking out three

- Brandon Rodgers struck out the only batter he faced before Hayden Simmerson closed it out for the save

- Cole Hales was 2-for-4 with two RBI

- Dylan Driver and Ty Hubbard also provided multi-hit games

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Catawba with one out in the first

- Hales ripped a two-RBI single through the left side to put the home team up, 2-0

SECOND INNING

- Hubbard singles and stole second with one out in the second

- An error allowed Hubbard to wheel around and score for what ended up being the final offense of the night

EIGHTH INNING

- Coker threatened with the first two runners aboard in the eighth

- Catawba picked off one runner before throwing the other out stealing to get out of the jam

UP NEXT

- Catawba and Coker wrap up the three-game set with a doubleheader tomorrow; first pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.