Underwood's Perfect Day Helps Baseball Slip by Crusaders

BELMONT, NC -- Catawba shortstop Brett Underwood (Greensboro, NC/SW Guilford HS) went 4-for-4 from the plate and scored twice to give the Indians a come-from-behind 8-7 non-conference win over Belmont Abbey Wednesday afternoon at Abbey Yard. The Indians improved to 10-4 overall while the Crusaders are 12-7.

Catawba was down 6-1 after the second inning but proceeded to score seven unanswered runs to take back the lead and eventually the win.

Already up 2-0 off a Justin Vasquez homer in the first, Belmont Abbey put four more on the board in the second on just two hits for the five-run lead. The Crusaders roughed up Catawba starter Joe Kase (Palm Harbor, FL/Tarpon Springs/S.Florida CC) for six earned runs on three hits as he lasted one inning.

The Indians responded quickly in the third with four runs on six hits. Craig Brooks (Monroe, NC/Parkwood HS) singled to start the inning then Underwood doubled down the leftfield line. A Ryan Bostian (Kannapolis, NC/S. Rowan HS/Montreat) single scored Lawson as Underwood came across the plate next on a Garrett Furr (Gold Hill, NC/Mt. Pleasant HS) SAC fly. Chris Dula (Troutman, NC/S. Iredell HS) singled home Bostian and Ethan Satterfield (Madison, NC/McMichael HS) did the same for  Julio Zubillaga (China Grove, NC/Carson HS) to round out the scoring.

Clay Watson (Lexington, NC/N. Davidson HS), Nate King (Vancouver, WA/Skyview/NC State HS) and Ryan McClintock (Matthews, NC/Providence HS) added five innings of middle relief allowing just two hits and no runs. King picked up the win for the Indians, his first of the year.

Catawba tacked on three more runs in the fourth which would prove to be the ones that put it over the top. Lawson led off with a double to left center and later scored on a throwing error by the pitcher. Underwood scored on a Bostian single and Zubillaga sent Bostian in on a SAC fly of his own to give the Indians an 8-6 advantage.

The Crusaders tallied one run in the seventh on two hits to tighten it to a one-run game, but would not threaten again as JJ Jankowski (McMurray, PA/Peters Township HS/Miami, OH) came on as a closer in the ninth to earn the save while striking out two.

Catawba banged out 15 hits on the day while committing no errors.

The Indians host Newberry for a weekend South Atlantic Conference series starting Friday night, Mar. 2 at 6 p.m.