GAFFNEY, S.C. — The 17th-ranked Catawba Valley Community College baseball team continued its solid start to the season on Wednesday with a doubleheader road sweep of the Limestone JV team.
The Red Hawks (5-0) won game one 5-0 in seven innings before defeating the Saints 12-0 in five-inning, run-rule fashion during the nightcap.
Game one: CVCC 5, Limestone JV 0 (seven innings)
Powered by home runs from third baseman Graham Mitchell and first baseman David Graves and a one-hit combined pitching performance, the Red Hawks shut out the Saints in game one of the two-game set on Wednesday.
Catawba Valley plated a run in the first inning on a single by Cory Watt and added to its lead in the third inning when Rod Munoz scored on a wild pitch.
Mitchell's two-run blast over the left field wall in the fifth inning also plated Munoz, and Graves followed his teammate's strong at-bat up with a colossal towering shot to left field.
CVCC starting pitcher Hunter Isaacs picked up his first win of the season. He allowed one walk and struck out five Limestone batters in three innings.
Red Hawk relievers Nic Messina, Chris Banks, Trent McKay and Conner Hewell combined to close out the final four innings of the game, allowing a total of one walk and one hit and striking out six Saint batters.
A diving catch by Munoz in shallow right field during the fifth inning highlighted a strong defensive performance for the Red Hawks, preventing Limestone from garnering a second hit in the contest.
Game two: CVCC 12, Limestone JV 0 (five innings)
Behind a three-double, four-RBI performance from shortstop Garrison Burress, the Red Hawks closed out their doubleheader road sweep with a 12-0 run-rule victory in game two.
Catawba Valley scored all 12 of its runs in the first two innings, including four in the first and eight in the second.
Burress doubled home two runs each in the first and second innings to lead the offensive charge for Catawba Valley, which tallied 12 hits in the contest.
CVCC first baseman Graham Mitchell continued his hot hitting performance, driving in two runs, including one on a triple in the first inning. David Graves and Matthew Yarbrough also had RBI hits for the Red Hawks in the second game.
Catawba Valley pitching was once again dominant. Red Hawk pitchers combined to allow one hit, three walks and 12 strikeouts in five innings.
Starting pitcher Madisyn Bolin went 1.1 innings for CVCC, striking out two batters. Thomas Walden pitched in relief of Bolin, striking out a team-high four batters in his 1.1 innings.
Greg Collins, Timothy Davila and Chase Covington also had relief appearances for Catawba Valley before Kevin Finzer closed out the contest in the fifth inning.
The Catawba Valley baseball team returns to action on Sunday with a home doubleheader against D-I powerhouse Walters State. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Henkel-Alley Field at the American Legion Fairgrounds.
