SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team earned a pair of road victories to kick off its spring 2023 season on Wednesday, defeating Spartanburg Methodist in a doubleheader.
Game one: Catawba Valley 6, Spartanburg Methodist 5 (eight innings)
The Red Hawks scored four runs in the final three innings to come from behind in extra innings to stun the Pioneers in the opening game of Wednesday's set.
Jack Stevens led the Red Hawks offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, a home run and three RBI. Carter Starnes, Tate Abbott and Elec Yount also tallied one hit each for CVCC.
Trailing 3-5 in the seventh inning, Catawba Valley plated two runs — one on a sac fly by Matt Beisecker and another on a wild pitch by the Pioneers, which allowed Yount to score from third.
Yount was again the hero for CVCC in the eighth inning when his bunt single to third base and a Pioneer error brought home Cole Drewery from third base for the go-ahead score.
Kobe Cushing earned the win in relief for Catawba Valley. He pitched two innings and gave up one hit, three walks and struck out two batters, including the final SMC batter on a curve ball, to end the game.
Game two: Catawba Valley 6, Spartanburg Methodist 5
Leading by four runs in the seventh inning, the Red Hawks held off a late rally by the Pioneers to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Isaiah Martin led Catawba Valley with one hit and two RBI. Jake Gorman, Jack Stevens and John Dippold also recorded one hit each for CVCC.
Spartanburg Methodist took an early 2-0 lead behind an RBI single and home run off the bat of Rhogue Wallace in the first and third innings.
The Red Hawks roared back to tie the contest on Martin's two-run triple in the fourth inning, and CVCC gained the lead for good in the fifth inning on a Pioneer error and a double by Jack Stevens.
Catawba Valley extended its lead to 6-2 with one run each in the sixth and seventh innings. Martin scored on a passed ball in the sixth inning, and Sam Schall stole home in the seventh inning.
The Pioneers rallied with a three-run home run by Wallace in the seventh inning, but Red Hawk reliever Luis Martinez was able to strand the tying run at second base to secure his team's win.
Matthew Hall earned the win on the mound for Catawba Valley. He allowed one hit and struck out three batters.
The Catawba Valley Community College baseball team kicks off the home portion of its schedule on Friday when it takes on rival Caldwell at Henkel-Alley Field at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds. Game time is set for 3 p.m. Admission is $5.