ALLENDALE, S.C. — The 17th-ranked Catawba Valley Community College baseball team split a weekday series with host USC Salkehatchie on Wednesday.
The Red Hawks (7-2) took game one of the series 5-2 before falling 5-0 in game two against the Division I Indians (8-9).
Game one: Catawba Valley 5, USC Salkehatchie 2
Behind two hits apiece from David Graves, Cory Watt and Tyler Campbell, the Red Hawks defeated the Indians by three runs in the opening game of the doubleheader on Wednesday.
Catawba Valley took the lead in the top of the fourth inning on a double steal when Watt stole second base and Graves stole home plate for the game's first run.
Two batters later, first baseman Tyler Campbell drove in Watt on a single to extend the Red Hawks' advantage to 2-0 through four complete innings.
The Indians answered in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single from catcher Asher Smith, which plated Cody Adams to cut CVCC's advantage to 2-1 through five complete.
The Red Hawks would answer back quickly though when Graves connected with his second home run of the season to left field to lead off the sixth inning.
CVCC shortstop Garrison Burress also plated a run on a single in the inning to make it a 4-1 lead for CVCC through six complete.
After the Red Hawks gained an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an Indian error, USC Salkehatchie mounted a furious late-game rally.
Despite loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, closing pitcher Kevin Finzer sealed the victory for the Red Hawks by recording the final out of the game on a fly out to center field.
Finzer earned the save and relief pitcher Chris Banks picked up his first victory on the mound this season.
Game two: USC Salkehatchie 5, Catawba Valley 0
Plagued by four errors, Catawba Valley dropped the second game of the twinbill to the Indians on Wednesday in Allendale, S.C.
The Red Hawks tallied just five hits in the game — two of which came off the bat of first baseman Tyler Campbell.
USC Salkehatchie scored two runs in each of the first two innings off starter Madisyn Bolin, and the Indians were able to hold the Red Hawk bats at bay to earn the shutout.
Nick Anderson led the charge for USC Salkehatchie with one hit and two RBI, and Indians starting pitcher Dylan Brazil earned the win by throwing a complete game, five-hit shutout with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Cody Payne, Jimmy Marcelli and Garrison Burress also tallied one hit each for Catawba Valley in the game.
The CVCC baseball team returns to action on Friday at 4 p.m. for a nine-inning game against USC Union. The contest was originally scheduled to be played on Sunday, but was moved up due to inclement weather in the forecast.
The Red Hawks will still play their scheduled doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with the first of two seven-inning contests against the Bantams.
