GAFFNEY, S.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team extended its winning streak to four games on Monday with a non-conference doubleheader sweep of the Limestone JV squad at Founders Stadium.
With the wins, the Red Hawks improve to 14-8 overall.
Game one: Catawba Valley 10, Limestone JV 0 (five innings)
Behind a one-hit performance on the mound from starter Andrew Patrick, the Red Hawks earned a run-rule victory against the Saints in the opening game of the set on Monday afternoon.
Offensively, CVCC only tallied five hits, but also capitalized on 10 walks — scoring 10 or more runs for the third-straight game. Catawba Valley scored one run in the first inning, two in the second inning, four in the third inning and three in the fourth inning en route to its victory.
Third baseman Grant Tilley led the Red Hawks with three RBIs in Monday's opening contest, including a solo home run to left field in the second inning, while right fielder Malik Stephens drove in two RBIs. Shortstop Mason Lyda also drove in one run.
On the mound, Patrick kept Saint batters off balance, allowing just one walk and striking out eight batters during his four-inning, one-hit outing.
Elijah Carr relieved Patrick in the fifth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to help clinch the run-rule victory.
Game two: Catawba Valley 9, Limestone JV 4 (seven innings)
The Red Hawks overcame an early 2-0 hole, scoring four runs each in the third and fifth innings to come away with a five-run victory against the Saints to sweep Monday's doubleheader.
Limestone scored one run in each of the first two innings of Monday's nightcap, including an RBI single by James Rowe in the first inning and a solo home run by Dustin West in the second inning, to take a quick two-run lead.
Catawba Valley roared back in the third inning, scoring four runs on four RBI singles — one each by Brett Eurey, Sabion Thomas, Vinny Consolo and Malik Stephens.
John Stabb's solo home run helped pull Limestone back within 4-3 of the lead, but CVCC answered that run, scoring in the next half-inning on an RBI ground out by Ryan Healy.
The Red Hawks padded their lead in the fifth inning, scoring on an RBI single by Jamie Sheek. Consolo and Stephens also scored on wild pitches in the inning, and Healy plated a fourth CVCC run after swiping home plate on a double steal attempt.
West homered for the second time in Monday's game off Red Hawks reliever Noah Eaker, but the Saints would get no closer as CVCC won its fourth-straight game.
The CVCC baseball team returns to action this weekend with a road conference series against Bryant & Stratton in Virginia Beach, Va.
The Red Hawks and Bobcats play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. consisting of one nine-inning and one seven-inning game before the two teams close out the series on Sunday with a single nine-inning game at noon.