JAMESTOWN, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team flexed its offensive muscles on Friday, powering its way to a doubleheader sweep against host Guilford Tech at Ronnie Smith Stadium on the campus of Ragsdale High School.
The Red Hawks (23-9, 7-3 in Region X) scored a combined 36 runs in both games against the Titans (2-22, 0-11 in Region X), including a 15-3 seven-inning victory in game one and a 21-3 five-inning win in game two.
Game one: Catawba Valley 15, Guilford Tech 3 (seven innings)
Behind 12 hits, including two apiece off the bats of Graham Mitchell, Jimmy Marcelli, Garrison Burress and Kyran Russ, the Red Hawks won game one of the doubleheader against the Titans by 12 runs.
Guilford Tech took a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a solo home run by Cory Everett.
However, the Red Hawks responded by scoring six runs in the top of the second inning, including a three-run home run from Graham Mitchell, a two-run double from Jimmy Marcelli and an RBI double by Blake Jeter.
Mitchell homered twice in the Friday's first contest, including a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.
Burress also recorded his third home run of the season — a two-run shot off the top of the right center field wall — in the top of the sixth.
Burress' blast was the first of three home runs in four at bats for Catawba Valley in the inning, including Mitchell's second home run of the game and a solo home run by Russ.
Mitchell led the Red Hawks with five RBI in the contest, while Marcelli, Burress and Russ each drove in two apiece.
On the mound, CVCC starting pitcher Harry Hatcher earned his team-high fourth win of the season. He allowed five hits, three runs (one earned), three walks and struck out eight batters.
Game two: Catawba Valley 21, Guilford Tech 3 (five innings)
Tallying 18 hits and 21 runs, the Red Hawks rolled to an 18-run victory in game two against the Titans on Friday afternoon.
CVCC scored four runs each in the first and third innings, six runs in the second inning and seven runs in the fourth inning en route to its seventh conference win of the season.
Mitchell led the charge for Catawba Valley, driving in three runs on two hits, while Russ, Brett Macchia and Tyler Campbell each drove in two runs apiece. Twelve Red Hawk players were responsible for driving in at least one run in the game.
Red Hawks starting pitcher Trae Starnes picked up his third win of the season. He allowed five hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks, and Starnes also struck out six Titan batters.
The CVCC baseball team finishes its three-game conference series with Guilford Tech with one nine-inning game at noon on Saturday at Ronnie Smith Stadium on the campus of Ragsdale High School.