HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team split a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with conference rival Wake Tech at Ting Park, falling by one run in the opener before earning a run-rule victory in the nightcap.

The Red Hawks improve to 11-8 overall and 3-4 in Region X games this season, while the Eagles are now 11-4 overall and 1-1 in conference games.

Game one: Wake Tech 5, Catawba Valley 4 (nine innings)

An RBI double by left fielder Tommy Perrin in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Eagles a thrilling walk-off victory during the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday.

The Red Hawks and Eagles battled furiously throughout the opening contest of the day, trading the lead four times and tying three times.

Trent Jones gave CVCC a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning, scoring R.J. Conner on an RBI fielder's choice.

Wake Tech answered in the bottom of the second inning with its only hit off Red Hawks starting pitcher Blake Dockery — a two-out, two-RBI double by Andrew Vogler — to take its first lead of the contest, 2-1.

Catawba Valley seized the lead back by scoring one run each in the fifth and sixth innings.

Jackson Brown's ground out in the top of the fifth inning scored Rod Munoz, and catcher Willie Gordon delivered a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning, giving CVCC a 3-2 advantage through six complete.

Once again, the Eagles would tie the game in the eighth inning, plating a run on an RBI single by Austin Bulman, who scored Tyler Vaughan to make it a 3-3 game.

The Red Hawks looked poised to claim the conference win after Conner scored from third base on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning to make it a 4-3 Catawba Valley advantage heading to the final half inning.

However, an RBI single from Kevin Catrine set the table for Perrin's RBI double that rolled all the way to the base of the wall in right field to plate Catrine for the game winner.

Dockery allowed just one hit, two earned runs, three walks and struck out eight batters in his six-inning no decision appearance. Red Hawk reliever Greg Collins took the loss after allowing four hits, three earned runs, one was and striking out three batters in 2.1 innings.

Game two: Catawba Valley 10, Wake Tech 0 (five innings)

Behind starting pitcher Logan Bender's one-hit performance on the mound and a 10-hit offensive production at the plate, the Red Hawks claimed a run-rule win in game two of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Ting Stadium.

CVCC immediately attacked Wake Tech starting pitcher Jackson Keene in the opening stages of the second game of the twin bill, scoring two runs in the first inning on a two-RBI single by designated hitter Sabion Thomas to take a quick 2-0 lead.

The Red Hawks' biggest inning offensively came in the second when they plated seven runs on five hits, including a bases-clearing triple by Brett Eurey, an RBI double by Jackson Brown and an RBI single from Tyler Campbell, making it a 9-0 game.

Settling in with a big lead, Bender struck out at least two batters in each of his five innings on the mound, recording all three outs by strikeout in the second and fifth innings.

Thomas added the game's final run in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run that bounced back on to the playing surface after hitting the light pole in left field.

Bender finished Saturday's doubleheader finale with a season-high 12 strikeouts and no walks during his five-inning complete game performance, earning his third win of the season.


The Red Hawks and Eagles finish their three-game set on Sunday with a single nine-inning game. First pitch is set for noon at Ting Park.