NEWTON, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team fell 6-3 to 12th-ranked Pitt in Sunday morning's conference match up at Henkel-Alley Field at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds.

The Bulldogs (7-3-1, 2-1 in Region X) recorded three solo home runs in the contest —one each off the bats of Chandler Blackwelder, Joey Goldsmith and Garrett Tyndall — in its three-run win.

Pitt took an early 2-0 lead in Sunday's "rubber match," scoring on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and Blackwelder's solo blast in the sixth inning.

The Red Hawks (6-7, 2-3 in Region X) broke up the shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning when Garrison Burress' single drove in Trent Jones.

Opening up a four-run lead, the Bulldogs scored threes runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Goldsmith homered and Josh Netterville record an RBI single in the seventh inning, and Caleb Morris added an RBI single in the eighth inning.

CVCC attempted a comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring on a pair of RBI singles by Jackson Brown and Jones.

Brown led the Red Hawks at the plate in Sunday's nine-inning game, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jones went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and third baseman Jamie Sheek also had two hits and a run scored.

Scoring for the fourth-straight inning, Tyndall's solo home run in the ninth inning expanded Pitt's lead back to three runs, and Bulldogs closer Noah Jones retired the final five Red Hawk batters to pick up his third save of the season.

CVCC starting pitcher Trae Starnes suffered his second loss of the season. Starnes allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), one walk and struck out five batters in his six-inning appearance.

The CVCC baseball team returns to action on Tuesday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Division I Spartanburg Methodist at Henkel-Alley Field.