Staff report

SALISBURY — Catawba’s baseball team got the series win it needed against Lenoir-Rhyne, but the Bears refused to be swept.

The Bears (13-6, 4-5) put up three four-run innings and outscored Catawba 12-8 in front of 308 disappointed fans at Newman Park on Sunday.

Catawba had taken a doubleheader on Saturday thanks to great relief pitching by Brandon Rodgers and a dramatic, 12th-inning homer by Bo Rusher.

Catawba (12-6, 3-3) continued to swing the bats on Sunday. Logan Rogers powered a two-run homer in the eighth, his fourth of the season.

Cole Hales had three hits, including two doubles. Dylan Driver had a great series and had two more hits and two RBIs.

Ty Hubbard also had two hits.

But the pitching staff didn’t get it done in this one, and the Indians took their first loss of the season at home.  Hayden Simmerson started on the mound and allowed four runs in four innings.

Casey Gouge (0-1) followed Simmerson to the mound and was charged with the loss. L-R pieced together one of its big innings in the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch, a sac fly and a two-run single, and took the lead for good.

Catawba will play two at North Georgia on Wednesday before traveling to Emory & Henry for a weekend SAC series.