Catawba Falls to Point Loma in NCAA Division II Championship Opener

CARY, N.C. – Catawba saw a three-run lead disappear late as Point Loma erupted for five runs in the eighth inning to hand the Indians an 11-5 loss in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship on Saturday afternoon at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

The Indians (47-13) struck first, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Logan Dyer led off with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Atkins before Brandon Crabtree crossed the plate on an RBI groundout from Jake Dunlap to give Catawba an early 2-0 advantage.

Point Loma (50-11) answered with two runs in the second and added two more in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. The Sea Lions pushed the margin to 5-2 in the fifth before Catawba responded immediately. Dunlap delivered an RBI triple to right-center field and Nathan Chrismon followed with an RBI groundout to trim the deficit to 5-4.

The Indians drew even in the seventh inning when Atkins and Dunlap opened the frame with walks. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Ty Hubbard drove in Atkins with a groundout to tie the contest at 5-5.

Point Loma seized control in the top of the eighth. Josiah Rodriguez delivered an RBI single before Hank Smith launched a three-run homer to right-center field. Mason Cook followed with a solo home run later in the inning as the Sea Lions scored five times to build a 10-5 advantage. Point Loma added an insurance run in the ninth to account for the final margin.

Dyer paced the Catawba offense with three hits, while Dunlap went 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Crabtree reached base four times with a hit and three walks, and Matthew Connolly added two hits.

Point Loma finished with 14 hits, led by Rodriguez, Cook, Jack Ryan and Jake Schwartz, who each recorded two hits. Smith drove in three runs with his decisive eighth-inning homer.

The loss moves Catawba into the elimination bracket of the national championship tournament. The Indians will face Bentley on Monday at 1:30 p.m. with their season on the line. The winner advances in the double-elimination championship bracket, while the loser will be eliminated from the tournament.