Box Score
by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C.-Fifth-ranked Catawba College banged out 11 hits – including a trio of home runs – to cruise past host Barton College, 9-1, in a non-conference baseball meeting Tuesday at Nixon Field.
Senior Chris Rawlings and freshman Avery Harper combined to deliver more than half of Barton's seven hits, collecting a pair of hits each. Rawlings also drove in the Bulldogs' lone run with a fifth inning single.
The Indians won for the 17th time in their last 18 games, and improved to 23-5 on the season. Barton, meanwhile, dropped to 8-18 on the year.
Catawba took a 3-0 lead in the second inning off Bulldog starter Jimmie Davis (1-2), the first on an RBI double by Cameron Beard, the second on a two-out RBI single by Brett Underwood and the third on a passed ball.
The Indians added another run in the top of the third when Garrett Furr led off the frame by ripping a 3-2 pitch high off the screen in dead center field. It was Furr's eighth homer of the year.
Barton had a chance to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the third, getting a two-out walk and a single by Rawlings to put runners in position, but Catawba starter Nate King (2-1) got a grounder back to the mound to end the threat. King tossed five innings, allowing just four hits and one run, walking one and striking out five.
Catawba extended its lead to 6-0 in the fifth inning on a two-run, bases-loaded single by Beard, who finished the game with three hits and three RBI.
The Bulldogs scored their only run in the bottom of the fifth when Andre Turnquest produced a one-out single to right-center and stole second, then came home on Rawlings' single to left.
The Indians got the run right back, however, as Ryan Bostian led off the sixth with his fourth homer of the year. Catawba tacked on a pair of runs in the ninth on Danny Parisi's first home run of the season.
In-between the home runs, Barton did get two scoreless innings of relief pitching from Phillip Cotton, who gave up just one hit and struck out one.
The Bulldogs return to action on Friday with a 5 p.m. Conference Carolinas matchup against Limestone College. That game will take place at Fleming Stadium.
