JAMESTOWN, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team completed a conference series sweep against host Guilford Tech on Sunday, winning 15-6 in eight innings at Ronnie Smith Field.
With the victory, the Red Hawks improve to 29-19 overall on the season and 13-8 in Region X play.
During Sunday's run-rule win, CVCC also broke its program record for most strikeouts in a season by a pitching staff, which was set just last season (487). The Red Hawks now have 493 punch outs so far this spring.
For the second-straight day, Catawba Valley's offense exploded at the plate, recording a season-high 14 hits, including three off the bat of left fielder Jackson Brown and two apiece from designated hitter Sabion Thomas, first baseman Tyler Campbell and right fielder Trent Jones.
CVCC took a quick 4-0 lead through two innings of Sunday's finale, scoring all four runs on doubles, including a pair of RBI two-baggers by Thomas and one RBI double each from Campbell and Jones.
The Titans (13-17, 8-12) would quickly answer, overcoming their deficit and gaining the lead with five runs on five hits in the third inning, including a grand slam by center fielder Jonathan Husk.
The Red Hawks responded, though, scoring eight runs in the top of the fourth inning, including a grand slam of their own by catcher Willie Gordon — his second home run in as many days and his team-leading fifth blast of the season.
CVCC relief pitcher Timothy Davila replaced starter Andrew Patrick with one out in the third inning, and Davila allowed just one hit, one walk and recorded three strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.
Davila's strikeout to lead off the fifth inning was the Red Hawks' record-setting 488th as a pitching staff.
A bases-loaded walk by shortstop Mason Lyda put CVCC up 13-5 and in position to claim a seven-inning run-rule win, but Guilford Tech staved off the mercy rule when center fielder Jonathan Husk scored from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning.
However, Catawba Valley would not be denied its run-rule win, scoring two runs in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI sac fly by Brown and an RBI double by David Kennedy before relief pitcher Elijah Carr retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth to end the game.
The CVCC baseball team returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts its final non-conference doubleheader of the season against Bodyshop Baseball. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Henkel-Alley Field.
