Baseball
March 12, 2017
Hanes' Grand Slam Pushes Baseball Past Aquinas

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Malachi Hanes (Charlotte, N.C./Butler) hit a grand slam and Bryan Ketchie (Woodleaf, N.C./W. Rowan) earned his fourth win as 22nd-ranked Catawba topped visiting St. Thomas Aquinas 8-4 in baseball action on Sunday afternoon at Newman Park. The Catawba Indians improve to 16-7 and up its home mark to 12-1. The Spartans fall to 6-5.
Down 1-0 after Spartan right fielder Giovanni Dingcong hit a one-out homer in the fourth, the Indians tied it in the bottom half on a two-out double by Hunter Shepherd (Salisbury, N.C./Homeschool). Catawba went on top for good in the fifth. Jeremy Simpson (Cleveland, N.C./W. Rowan) doubled home a run and after a pair of walks, Hanes hit his home run to right field to put Catawba up 6-1.
The Spartans got to Ketchie again with two outs in the sixth. Cris Ruiz followed a Juan Adorno single with a home run to cut Catawba’s lead to 6-3. Dingcong followed a two-out Catawba error with a RBI single in the seventh to make it 6-4.
Catawba got some insurance late. Jackson Raper (Concord, N.C./Robinson) had a pinch-hit single with two outs in the seventh to plate Hanes for a 7-4 edge and Bryce Fowler (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood/Presbyterian) had a two-out RBI single in the eighth to make it 8-4.
Five Catawba relievers did not allow an earned run over the final three and a third innings. Ketchie improved to 4-1 on the hill, giving up three runs while scattering eight hits with no walks and five punch outs. Bryan Blanton (Albemarle, N.C./Albemarle) struck out two with a perfect ninth to close the game out.
Simpson and Shepherd each had three hits to lead the Catawba offense. Hanes had two hits and the four RBI on one swing. Nicholas Lucchese picked up three hits for St. Thomas Aquinas with Dingcong getting two.
Catawba is back at home on Tuesday, hosting Belmont Abbey at 5 pm.
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« | April 2018 | » | ||||
1 | 2 | 3 April 3 Golf (M) @ Tennessee River Rumble - Day 1 (Tennessee National GC) Softball @ Newberry 5-2 Tennis (W) @ JC Smith 9-0 Tennis (M) @ JC Smith 8-1 Softball @ Newberry 3-5 Lacrosse (M) vs. MARS HILL 11-9 | 4 April 4 Golf (M) @ Tennessee Rumble - Day 2 (Tennessee National GC) 10th of 16 Tennis (W) vs. LENOIR-RHYNE 3-6 Tennis (M) vs. LENOIR-RHYNE 4-5 Baseball vs. North Greenville (Flour Field) 5-6 | 5 | 6 April 6 Tennis (W) vs. MARS HILL 9-0 Tennis (M) vs. MARS HILL 8-1 Baseball vs. NEWBERRY 18-12 Lacrosse (M) vs. LIMESTONE 11-12 | 7 |
8 April 8 Golf (M) @ SAC Championships - Day 1 (Cobbs Glen GC) Softball @ Anderson 1-2 Softball @ Anderson 0-4 Baseball vs. NEWBERRY 8-6 Baseball vs. NEWBERRY 8-6 | 9 April 9 Golf (M) @ SAC Championships - Day 2 (Cobbs Glen GC) | 10 April 10 Golf (M) @ SAC Championships - Day 3 (Cobbs Glen GC) 10th of 11 Baseball vs. MOUNT OLIVE 13-9 | 11 April 11 Softball vs WINGATE 3-4 Tennis (M) @ Coker 1-8 Tennis (W) @ Coker 4-5 Lacrosse (W) vs. LENOIR-RHYNE 9-14 Softball vs WINGATE 2-4 Lacrosse (M) vs. LENOIR-RHYNE 11-20 | 12 April 12 Tennis (M) vs. SHAW 5-4 Tennis (W) vs. SHAW 7-2 | 13 April 13 Baseball vs. LINCOLN MEMORIAL 3-6 | 14 April 14 Track/Field @ Phoenix Invitational Football Spring Blue/White Game Lacrosse (M) @ Queens 10-18 Baseball vs. LINCOLN MEMORIAL 8-9 Lacrosse (W) @ Queens 10-16 Baseball vs. LINCOLN MEMORIAL 13-12 |
15 April 15 Golf (W) @ SAC Championships - Day 1 (Woodcreek CC) Softball vs LANDER, ccd. 2 p.m. Softball vs LANDER, ccd. 4 p.m. | 16 April 16 Golf (W) @ SAC Championships - Day 2 (Woodcreek CC) | 17 April 17 Golf (W) @ SAC Championships - Day 3 (Woodcreek CC) 9th of 11 Softball @ Coker 2-3 Softball @ Coker 1-4 Baseball vs. BARTON 16-10 | 18 | 19 April 19 Track/Field @ SAC Outdoor Championships (Day 1) | 20 April 20 Track/Field @ SAC Outdoor Championships (Day 2) Baseball @ Wingate 6 p.m. | 21 April 21 Softball vs CARSON-NEWMAN 1 p.m. Softball vs CARSON-NEWMAN 3 p.m. Baseball @ Wingate 3 p.m. Lacrosse (W) vs. TUSCULUM 4 p.m. Baseball @ Wingate 6 p.m. Lacrosse (M) vs. TUSCULUM 7 p.m. |
22 | 23 | 24 April 24 Lacrosse (M) in SAC Tournament (1st Round) Lacrosse (W) in SAC Tournament (1st Round) Baseball vs. UNC PEMBROKE 5 p.m. | 25 | 26 April 26 Baseball @ SAC Tournament | 27 April 27 Baseball @ SAC Tournament Lacrosse (M) @ SAC Tournament (Semifinals) Lacrosse (W) @ SAC Tournament (Semifinals) Softball @ SAC Tournament | 28 April 28 Baseball @ SAC Tournament Softball @ SAC Tournament |
29 April 29 Baseball @ SAC Tournament Lacrosse (M) @ SAC Tournament (Championship) Lacrosse (W) @ SAC Tournament (Championship) | 30 April 30 Baseball @ SAC Tournament |
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