HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team earned a 7-2 midweek victory against the Montreat JV team on Wednesday afternoon at Henkel-Alley Field at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds.
The Red Hawks tallied nine hits in the contest, including three off the bat of leadoff hitter Fabian Walker, to improve to 3-2 on the season.
Catawba Valley took command early in Wednesday's contest, scoring four runs in the first inning and two in the second inning. Jack Stevens and Carter Starnes led the early charge for CVCC a pair of first-inning doubles.
Stevens' double brought home Walker for the first run of the game, while Starnes' double scored both Connor Bradley and Stevens. Starnes also scored on the same play by rounding the bases after a Cavalier error.
The Red Hawks added two more runs in the second inning — one on a ground out by Bradley that allowed Wilson to score from third — and Stevens added his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field, which brought home Walker.
Walker's RBI single in the sixth inning made it a 7-1 Red Hawk lead.
The Cavaliers managed to get a run back in the seventh inning on a RBI ground out by Caleb Absher, but they could get no closer in the contest.
Red Hawk starting pitcher Brent Byler earned his first win of the season. Byler allowed three hits and one run in two innings of work.
A total of nine Catawba Valley pitchers saw action in the contest, including Luis Martinez Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Caleb Avery, Aiden Cannady, Luke Ostend, Ethan Levy, Carlos Reynoso, Carter Lindsay and Samuel Carpenter. Combined they allowed eight hits, two runs, six walks and struck out seven batters.
The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team returns to action this weekend for a round-robin event at Gaston College. The Red Hawks take on Gaston College at 2 p.m. Friday before competing against USC Sumter on Saturday at 4 p.m.
On Sunday, the Red Hawks once again face USC Sumter at noon before finishing the event with a game against Gaston College at 3:30 p.m. All games will take place at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia.