Catawba Stays Alive with 15-8 Win Over Bentley at NCAA Division II Baseball Championship

CARY, N.C. – The South Atlantic Conference champion Catawba Indians kept their national championship hopes alive on Monday afternoon, defeating Bentley 15-8 in an elimination game at the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

With the win, Catawba improves to 48-13 on the season and advances to continue play in the national championship tournament.

The Indians pounded out 20 hits and erased a fourth-inning Bentley rally, scoring nine runs over the final four innings to pull away for the victory.

Catawba took control early, scoring three runs in the second inning and two more in the third to build a 5-2 lead. After Malachi Cloud's solo home run in the fourth extended the advantage to 6-2, Bentley answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 6-6.

The Indians responded immediately. A sacrifice fly from Sam Hunter, a two-run single by Hunter Atkins and an RBI single from Nathan Chrismon highlighted a four-run sixth inning that put Catawba back in front for good at 10-6.

Bentley closed within 10-8 in the seventh, but Catawba added two insurance runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to secure the win. Jack Cuba delivered an RBI pinch-hit single in the eighth before Ty Hubbard drove in two runs in the ninth inning.

Cloud led the offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored. Hubbard finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while Atkins collected three hits, scored three runs and drove in two. Hunter added four hits and an RBI as seven different Indians recorded multiple hits.

On the mound, Seth Sharpe earned the win in relief to improve to 10-1 on the season. Sharpe tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Catawba's bullpen combined to allow only two runs over the final 5.2 innings as the Indians held off Bentley's comeback bid.

The victory advances Catawba in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship bracket as the Indians continue their pursuit of a national title.