HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team swept a home non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday with visiting Queens University at Henkel-Alley Field.
The Red Hawks (21-9) won both games against the Royals (15-10) by 3-1 scores.
Game one: Catawba Valley 3, Queens 1
A two-run home run by Graham Mitchell in the bottom of the fifth inning was the decisive blow in a two-run victory for the Red Hawks against the Royals in game one of the set.
Catawba Valley quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the contest on a Tyler Campbell RBI single, which plated Jimmy Marcelli in the bottom of the first inning.
The Royals answered in the top of the second inning with an RBI ground out Aaron Douglas, which plated Anthony Orta.
The two teams remained deadlocked until Mitchell's two-run blast — his fifth home run of the season — scored himself and teammate Garrison Burress.
Pitcher Matthew Dailey gave Catawba Valley a solid start on the mound. He allowed just four hits, one earned run and six walks, and Dailey also struck out four batters.
CVCC relief pitchers Hunter Isaacs and Chase Covington closed out the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, allowing a combined two hits, three walks and no runs to help seal the Red Hawk victory.
Game two: Catawba Valley 3, Queens 1
Blake Jeter connected on a towering three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, lifting the Red Hawks to another two-run victory in the second game of the twin bill on Wednesday.
Red Hawks starting pitcher Thomas Walden was locked in from the first pitch, striking out the first two Queens batters on just six pitches.
Walden allowed four hits, one earned run, one walk and struck out four batters in his five-inning appearance to earn his second victory of the season.
After three-straight scoreless innings to start the game, Jeter's two-out bomb to left field scored himself and teammates Rod Munoz and Garrison Burress to give Catawba Valley command of the game for good. The home run is Jeter's third of the season.
A solo home run by Wes Boling in the top of the fifth inning was the lone offense in the contest by the Royals, who mustered just five hits.
Queens managed to load the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, but CVCC relief pitcher Will Angel was able to record the final out — a strikeout of Ryan Dudney — to end the game.
The CVCC baseball team returns to action on Friday and Saturday for a three-game set on the road against Guilford Tech.
The Red Hawks play a doubleheader with the Titans consisting of one nine-inning game and one seven-inning contest on Friday starting at 1 p.m. before playing a single nine-inning game on Saturday at noon.
