College baseball: Indians get back on track with sweep of Tusculum
Published 5:44 pm Monday, April 7, 2025
- Matthew Connolly (West Rowan)
Staff report
SALISBURY — Catawba’s baseball team swept Tusculum in a weekend series and is back on top of the South Atlantic Conference standings.
After beating the Pioneers 15-4, 14-6 and 7-5, the Indians (26-10, 17-4) are one game up on Lenoir-Rhyne (31-6, 16-5) and Carson-Newman (27-11, 16-5).
Three straight non-conference losses had knocked Catawba out of the national rankings, but the Indians got well in a hurry against Tusculum.
In the 15-4 game on Friday, James Dunlap, Parker Styborski, Sam Hunter, Matthew Connolly (West Rowan), Cole Hales (Carson) and Ty Hubbard (South Rowan) homered for the Indians. That’s six homers.
Hales and Hunter drove in three runs each to back the pitching of Payne Stolsworth, who cruised with the massive run support and bumped his record to 7-1.
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In the Saturday opener, Catawba used a six-run third to take a big lead, but Tusculum got back to 6-all before the Indians started pounding again.
Casey Gouge (West Rowan) pitched five innings. Carson grad Hayden Simmerson (3-2) pitched four dominant innings for the win with five strikeouts.
Hales, Styborski and Connolly homered. Connolly knocked in four, while Hales and Styborski plated three apiece.
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Catawba held on to win the seven-inning nightcap 7-5 on Saturday.
Dylan Driver (Carson) went 3-for-3. Dunlap had three RBIs. Hunter Atkins and Hunter drove in two.
Seth Sharpe (2-0) was credited with a relief win.
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