HICKORY, N.C. — The 15th-ranked Catawba Valley Community College baseball team completed a three-game sweep of conference opponent Wake Tech with a 6-2 victory on Sunday at Henkel-Alley Field at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds.

With the win, the Red Hawks improve to 11-5 overall and 7-2 in Region 10 play.

Center fielder Jacob Marcos and second baseman Chandler Blackwelder led Catawba Valley with three hits each, while first baseman Sabion Thomas and catcher Will Samuelson added two hits apiece.

After dodging a pair of Wake Tech runners in scoring position during the top of the first inning, the Red Hawks carried momentum from their early defensive stand. CVCC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning behind RBI singles from Blackwelder, Samuelson and shortstop Kye Andress.

Catawba Valley starting pitcher Andrew Patrick helped his team early in Sunday's finale, stranding four Wake Tech baserunners in scoring position during the first three innings.

In his five-inning outing, Patrick gave up five hits, two earned runs, four walks and struck out six batters to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The Eagles (6-13, 2-7) finally broke on to the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning behind a solo home run from Kevin Catrine and an RBI single from Tyler Vaughan to pull within 4-2 of Catawba Valley's lead.

However, the Red Hawks responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth inning, capitalizing on an error by the Eagles to plate one run and re-extend their lead to 5-2.

CVCC added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI double by Sabion Thomas — his third double and fifth extra-base hit of the series — to make it a 6-2 lead for the Red Hawks.

Patrick exited after the fifth inning, but Red Hawk relievers Austin Blevins, Storm Mace and Nic Roser continued to hold the Wake Tech bats at bay, allowing a combined two hits, no runs, no walks and striking out six batters in the final four innings.

Roser closed the door in the eighth and ninth innings, striking three of the six batters he faced against his former team to preserve CVCC's four-run victory.

The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team returns to action on Thursday for a single nine-inning game against Union County College (N.J.). First pitch is set for 9 p.m. at Henkel-Alley Field at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds.