VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team completed a conference series sweep of host Bryant & Stratton on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Bobcats 14-3 in seven innings via the run rule at Trant Field.
With the win, the Red Hawks improve to 17-8 overall and 7-4 in Region X games.
CVCC took a quick 7-0 lead in Sunday's series finale by scoring three runs in the second inning and four runs in the third inning.
Left fielder Jackson Brown connected on a two-run single during the second inning and designated hitter Brett Eurey added an RBI single to make it a 3-0 lead for the Red Hawks.
Shortstop Mason Lyda and center fielder Malik Stephens both drew bases-loaded walks during the third inning to help extend the CVCC advantage. Brown added an RBI single during the stanza, and Lyda also scored on a passed ball.
Bobcats first baseman Robert Olah broke up the shutout bid in the fourth inning, delivering a two-run homer to right field to cut Bryant & Stratton's deficit to five runs.
The Red Hawks responded in the sixth inning, scoring four runs — two via bases-loaded walks by Tyler Campbell and Willie Gordon and one after Jackson Brown was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Eurey also scored in the inning on an error at third base.
Ryan Mihlebach's RBI double to left field in the sixth inning scored Olah to pull Bryant & Stratton (9-19, 2-10 in Region X) back within eight runs of the lead.
However, Catawba Valley added three insurance runs in the seventh inning. Rod Munoz delivered a pinch hit RBI double, and both Brown and R.J. Conner plated one run each on a pair of RBI ground outs.
Brown finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with two walks to go with his season-high five RBIs.
Red Hawks reliever Nic Messina struck out two of the final three batters in the seventh inning to help secure his team's run-rule victory.
CVCC starting pitcher Trae Starnes earned his second win of the season, allowing two hits, two earned runs, one walk and striking out six batters in four innings of work.
Starnes, Messina and reliever Chase Covington combined to allow just four hits, three walks and struck out 11 batters in Sunday's conference victory.
The CVCC baseball team will try to extend its current seven-game winning streak on Wednesday with a non-conference road doubleheader against USC Salkehatchie. First pitch between the Indians and Red Hawks is slated for 2 p.m. in Allendale, S.C.
