JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 21 Catawba outscored Carson-Newman 8-0 after the first rain delay in game two to complete a sweep of C-N with an 8-3 win. The Indians took the first game, 7-2.
With the wins, Catawba improves to 32-8 and 20-4 in South Atlantic Conference play. C-N falls to 17-25 and 13-11 in SAC play.
With the wins, the Indians clinch the SAC regular season title.
Game 1: Catawba 7, Carson-Newman 2
Catawba's J.J. Jankowski (McMurray, Pa.) struck out 13 in eight innings of work and left fielder Josh Hohn (Greensboro, N.C.) hit a three-run home run to lift the visiting Indians to a 7-2 win in game one.
Jankowski pitched eight innings of three-hit ball and matched his season high in strikeouts to improve to 7-1 on the year.
The Indians jumped out 2-0 in the first with a pair of unearned runs.
Sophomore Ryan Bostian (Kannapolis, N.C.) reached on an error to lead off the game, a play which seemingly set the tone for the Eagles in the opener. C-N would go on to commit five errors in the loss.
Singles by Garrett Furr (Gold Hill, S.C.) and Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C.), and an error by C-N right fielder Lucas Mohon (Glasgow, Ky.) would score Furr for the second run in the inning.
Indian catcher Greg Lawson (Charlotte, N.C.) would extend the lead to 3-0 in the second inning after reaching on the Eagles' third error of the day and scoring on a Julio Zubillaga (China Grove, N.C.) single.
C-N's lone early run came in the bottom of the third on a solo home run by first baseman Jonathan Dalton (Rutledge, Tenn.). The senior ripped his ninth home run of the year over the left field fence to cut the lead to 3-1, but C-N could get no closer.
After Bostian and centerfielder Blake Houston (Mt. Ulla) strung together singles in the fourth, Hohn delivered with his sixth home run on the season. A three-run shot to left to give Jankowski and Catawba a 6-1 lead.
Hohn led the Indians with two hits and four RBIs.
Game 2: Catawba 8, Carson-Newman 3
Catawba's Chris Dula doubled and scored in the sixth inning to give the Indians' their first lead of the game and added a grand slam an inning later to put the game out of reach as Catawba won game two, 8-3.
Dula finished the game 4-for-4 with three runs scored and seven RBIs.
C-N jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three innings as starter Ryan Fillers (Greeneville, Tenn.) faced the minimum through three.
The Eagles struck in the first on an RBI double by Mohon to plate Lance Rorex (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who bunted for a single to lead off the inning.
The Eagles added two more in the third behind singles by Aaron Vargas (Oak Ridge, Tenn.), Morgan Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.) and Dalton to extend the lead to 3-0.
After a rain delay before the top of the fourth, Catawba seized control behind Dula.
The Indian third baseman doubled to left in the sixth inning and belted a seventh-inning grand slam to blow the game open.
Eight Eagles singled in the game, but none had multiple hits.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Maryville (Tenn.). First pitch is at 3 p.m. at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
-C-N-
