March 17, 2009

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill baseball team split a doubleheader with Catawba Tuesday afternoon at Henderson Field. The Lions lost the first game 16-4 but regrouped for a 6-3 game two victory. Mars Hill is now 13-15 overall and 2-6 in the SAC. The Catawba Indians are 11-8 overall and 5-2 in the SAC.

Mars Hill struck first in game one in the bottom of the first inning when Brian Williams (Orlando, Fla.) singled to left field. Mike Dobre (Pompano Beach, Fla.) scored on the play to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

A Josh Hohn (Greensboro, N.C.) two-run homerun in the top of the third inning gave Catawba a 2-1 advantage. Catawba also plated two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to grab a 4-1 advantage.

After Mars Hill went in order to end the fourth inning, Catawba broke open the game in the top of the fifth with a 10 run frame. Mars Hill gave up six straight hits to begin the inning. During the stretch, Catawba scored four runs to increase its lead to 8-1. Leading 10-1, Craige Lyerly (Salisbury, N.C.) crushed a grand slam over the left field fence to make the score 14-1 in favor of Catawba.

Mars Hill could only muster three runs the rest of the game. Devin Presnell (Boone, N.C.) jacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 14-4, but Catawba scored one run, including a Brett Hatley (Salisbury, N.C.) solo shot, in the sixth and seventh innings to conclude the scoring.

Blake Ketner (Davidson, N.C.), now 5-0, earned the victory for Catawba. He pitched five innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.

Justin Hall (Martinsville, Va.), now 2-1, dropped the decision for Mars Hill. He surrendered eight runs on ten hits in only four innings of work.

The Lions responded with authority in game two in the bottom of the first inning. Dobre led off the game with a solo homerun to give Mars Hill an early 1-0 lead. Three batters later, Williams and Matt Oleski (West Seneca, N.Y.) hit back-to-back bombs. Williams' two-run homer and Kitt's solo shot gave the Lions a 4-0 advantage.

Trailing 6-0 in the top of the sixth inning, Ryan Query (Kannapolis, N.C.) hit a three-run shot to cut Catawba's deficit in half. However, Chad Jarvis (Clemmons, N.C.) and Greg Smith (Murrells Inlet, S.C.) came out of the bullpen for the Lions and limited Catawba to only one hit for the rest of the game.

Alex Britt (Salisbury, N.C.), now 3-2, picked up the victory in game two for Mars Hill. He threw five and one-third innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Smith registered his first save of the season after allowing no runs on one hit in one and one-third innings pitched.

Trevor Mullins (Jamestown, N.C.), now 1-2, dropped the game for Catawba. He gave up four runs on four hits in only one-third of an inning.

Mars Hill will host Newberry this Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series at Henderson Field. First pitch of a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday is set for 12 p.m.

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