WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College baseball team made a ferocious rally that featured four runs in the bottom of ninth but preseason No. 23 nationally ranked Catawba College was able to hold on for an 8-7 season-opening victory after building an eight-run lead Tuesday afternoon at Nixon Field.
The Bulldogs outhit the Indians 13-7 but 11 walks in a four-inning stretch allowed Catawba to score its eight runs. Barton never gave up in front of the home crowd and made things interesting late.
Junior starter JJ Jankowski (McMurray, Pa.) kept Barton off the scoreboard for the first six innings but the Bulldogs bats heated up late against four Indian relievers. Jankowski (1-0) scattered four hits and recorded seven strikeouts for the win.
Barton ended the shutout bid in the seventh inning, scoring three runs on the strength of four singles, one walk, and one hit batsmen. Senior Jordan Smith (Longmont, Colo.) started the scoring with a single to right field that plated sophomore catcher Zac Crumpler (Wilson, N.C.) and junior Chris Rawlings (Charlotte, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs with a base hit to left.
Crumpler and fellow Fike High School teammate David Gibbons (Wilson, N.C.) each had three singles. Gibbons, batting leadoff in his first collegiate game after red shirting last season, reach safely in all five plate appearances with three singles and a pair of walks. Gibbons and freshman pinch hitter John Hunter (Hertford, N.C.) both tallied their first collegiate hits.
Barton continued to trail 8-3 heading into its last at bat but quickly scored three more runs. Smith led off with a walk; Gibbons singled through the left side of the infield; Rawlins drilled a double in the left field gap scoring Smith; and Watkins followed with another single to left-center that plated Gibbons and Rawlins.
With the deficit closed to 8-6, Catawba brought in right-handed sophomore Ross Whitley (Mooresville, N.C.) to get out of the jam. Whitley quickly got the first two outs before Hunter's pinch hit single to left scored Watkins. Whitley almost ended the game with a strikeout in the dirt but the batter reached because of the wild pitch that moved potential game-tying runner Hunter in scoring position. However, Whitley remained composed and tossed his third strikeout of the frame to get the save.
Rawlins and Watkins both went 2-for-4 with one run scored. Rawlings led all players with three RBI.
Sophomore starter Kyle Norville (Tarboro, N.C.) earned the opening day starting honors for the Bulldogs and looked impressive tossing three scoreless innings of one hit ball against a nationally ranked team that averaged almost nine runs per game last year. Norville and senior Hunter Meekens (Manteo, N.C.), who hurled the final two innings without giving up a run, fanned three Indians apiece. Junior Bentley Massey (Wilson, N.C.) was tagged with the loss giving up three runs over two innings on one hit and six walks.
Junior shortstop Brett Underwood (Greensboro, N.C.) had four of the Tribe's seven hits with four consecutive singles. Underwood scored twice and freshman Blake Houston (Mt. Ulla, N.C.) had a team-best two RBI.
Barton next hosts No. 9 Kutztown University in a four-game weekend series. Both Saturday and Sunday's doubleheaders against the Golden Bears are slated to start at Noon.
