Catawba ousts UMO from D2 Southeast Regional

By UMO Sports Information
Published in Sports on May 18, 2014 12:30 PM

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UMO Sports Information

GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Catawba plated 12 runs during a five-inning stretch and handed the University of Mount Olive a season-ending, 16-4 loss in elimination-round play of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional on Friday afternoon.

Shut out the day before against North Georgia, the second-seeded Trojans (40-13 overall) posted the game's first run during opening-inning action. Bradon Reitano (2-for-5, RBI) raced home on an outfield error.

The Indians, champions of the South Atlantic Conference, answered with a four-run outburst in the bottom half of the first.

Mount Olive tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third,

Junior Luke Barry drew a lead-off walk, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Reitano plated Barry with an RBI single. Rob Shipman followed with a single and Reitano scored on Justin Manning's sacrifice fly to right field.

Chase Edwards moved Shipman into scoring position with a double. Junior DeAndre Allen drove in Shipman for the 4-4 tie with a blooper than landed behind third base and shortstop.

Catawba (34-20) regained the lead in the sixth and poured on the offense from there. The Indians pounded out 14 hits against a usually-reliable UMO bullpen that used five relievers on the day.

Freshman Kodi Whitley started and endured his second defeat of the season. The right-hander surrendered six runs (two earned) on eight hits in 3-plus innings of work.

John Tuttle emerged as the winning pitcher for Catawba.

Mount Olive managed just 17 hits and scored runs in just two of 18 innings during its fifth consecutive Southeast Regional appearance. The Trojans dropped to 16-24 all-time in regional play since 1996.