Dunlap delivers another go-ahead RBI in extras, #4 Baseball downs NGU in 11 to move a win away from Supers

Salisbury, N.C. —- After being held scoreless for nine innings, two infield singles and an error set up James Dunlap to drive in the go-ahead run for the second straight day, allowing the 4th-ranked and top-seeded Catawba College baseball team to pull away with a 4-3 victory in 11 innings over 23rd-ranked and fifth-seeded North Greenville at Newman Park to move to a win away from a Super Regional berth.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-hit North Greenville 13-7

- The Trailblazers recorded four of six extra-base hits in the game

- Both teams committed two errors

- The Catawba Indians left 10 runners on base; NGU stranded 11

- Catawba's pitchers allowed two earned runs on seven hits and six walks, striking out 15; North Greenville's staff allowed three earned runs on 13 hits and four walks, striking out 13

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Casey Gouge was solid in the start, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings, recording eight strikeouts

- Seth Sharpe excelled in relief, throwing four innings with just one hit and an unearned run allowed with five punchouts

- Braeden Major stranded a runner in scoring position with just one out to earn the win; Hayden Simmerson picked up his nation-leading 16th save of the season in the 11th inning

- Dunlap recorded three hits with a run scored and the go-ahead RBI

- Cole Hales and Nathan Chrismon both went for three hits including a double

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Dunlap singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the first

- Sam Hunter scored him on a single to center

- Hales' RBI double to left-center scored Hunter from first to lead 2-0

- Chrismon laced a single through the left side to score Hales, giving Catawba a 3-0 lead before NGU took an at-bat

FOURTH INNING

- Landon Shaw recorded a two-out double and scored off of Bryce Roddey's RBI single to cut into Catawba's lead

SIXTH INNING

- Matthew Albritton launched a solo homer to lead off the sixth

- A two-out dropped flyball allowed NGU to reach second; they scored on Brett Blomquist's RBI single to center field, tying the game at 3

ELEVENTH INNING

- Connolly led off the 11th by beating out an infield single on the right side

- Hubbard reached base on a bunt single and Connolly advanced to third when NGU threw it over the head of ther first baseman

- Dunlap drove in Connolly from third on a slow roller to the right side, scoring Catawba's first run in 10 innings

- Simmerson set down 9-1-2 in order to close out the win, moving Catawba to a win away from a Super Regional appearance

UP NEXT

- Catawba awaits the winner of Lander-North Greenville with a chance to punch its ticket to the Super Regional; game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.