FLORENCE
-- A ninth inning rally by the University of
North Alabama baseball team gave the Lions
an 8-7 victory over Catawba and handed UNA
head coach Mike Lane his 900th win at the
school.
The win over
Catawba (28-14), gave UNA a 2-1 series
victory over the Indians, who lead the South
Atlantic Conference. It also improves UNA's
record to 21-14 overall.
Lane, who
earlier this season got his 1,000th overall
win as a head coach and saw the school's
University Field re-named Mike D. Lane Field
in his honor, now has a sterling 900-391-12
record in 25 seasons as head coach at UNA.
UNA led 7-5 in
the eighth inning Sunday before Catawba's
David Thomas launched a two-run homer to
left to tie the game. After threatening in
the bottom of the eighth, UNA managed to get
the winning run in the ninth. Josh Graham
walked and was sacrificed to second by Cole
Mitchell. Jarret Shepherd came on to run for
Graham and was promptly singled in by Trey
Pollard with the winning run.
Ryan Mitchell
(5-0), the third UNA pitched in the game,
got the win for UNA as he retired all four
batters that he faced.
Catawba jumped
on UNA starter Brennen Auerbach early as
Chad Baker singled with one out and Jerry
Sands followed with a two-run home run. UNA
took the lead in the bottom of the first as
Qualon Millender and Collin Murphy had
back-to-back singles and Josh Graham drove
in a run with a single. An RBI single by
Cole Mitchell tied it at 2-2 and an RBI
single by Matt Horton made it 3-2.
Back-to-back
Catawba homers in the fourth by Chris Ahearn
and Thomas gave the Indians a 4-3 lead and
an RBI single by Craige Lyerly in the fifth
extended it to 5-3. UNA got a run back in
the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly
by Graham to make it 5-4. Graham then gave
UNA the lead in the seventh when Collin
Murphy and Jeffery Ritter both singled and
he followed with a three-run homer to
center. It was Graham's fourth home run of
the season.
Trey Mitchell,
who had come on for Auerbach in the fifth,
retired the first eight batters he faced but
gave up a single and a two-run homer in the
eighth to tie the game at 7-7 before Miller
came on.
UNA out-hit
Catawba 13-11. Graham led the way, going
three-for-three with two runs scored and
five runs driven in. Murphy also had two
hits.
UNA hosts
Ouachita Baptist on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at
Mike Lane Field.
Printable Game
Statistics - Game 35 - Catawba
