Salisbury, N.C----College senior outfielder Zeb Link (Woodleaf, N.C.) drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the 11th inning to give the 28th-ranked Indians a 6-5 NCAA Division II victory over Wingate University Tuesday night at Newman Park.

The contest was a non-conference game for the South Atlantic Conference rivals. Catawba is 32-8 overall, while SAC regular season champion Wingate is 27-14 overall. The Bulldogs visit UNC Pembroke Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Catawba hosts Carson-Newman College for a huge SAC series Friday and Saturday.

Catawba drew four walks in the 11th inning off Wingate freshman reliever Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.), who had pitched a perfect 10th frame with a pair of strikeouts. Junior catcher/outfielder Josh Hohn (Greensboro, N.C.) drew a lead-off walk on a 3-2 pitch. Sophomore infielder Brett Underwood (Greensboro, N.C.) struck out after fouling off a pair of bunt attempts.

A wild pitch moved Hohn to second and sophomore infielder Corey Parker (Kernersville, N.C.) walked. Senior outfielder Wade Moore (Salisbury, N.C.) was intentionally walked to bring up Link. Somers issued a five-pitch walk to Link that forced in the winning run.

Wingate grabbed the early lead, getting three two-out hits to go on top 3-0 in the first. Bulldog junior designated hitter Tres Ramirez (Ocala, Fla.) doubled home the initial run, while redshirt freshman first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) and redshirt senior center fielder Nick Siega-Riz (Clemmons, N.C.) each singled home a run. Yeung drove home another run for the Bulldogs in the fifth for a 4-0 lead.

The lead was erased by one swing from Moore in the Catawba fifth as he bombed a 3-2 pitch way out to left center for a grand slam and a tie game. The Indians scratched out one more run in the frame. Link reached on an error and came around to score on a two-out single by freshman first baseman Brett Huffman (Salisbury, N.C.). The Bulldogs forced extra frames as senior second baseman Logan Isaacs (Raleigh, N.C.) led off the Wingate ninth with a solo home run, his team-best (tying) eighth round-tripper of the season.

The two teams combined for 25 hits, but also collected 29 strikeouts. Wingate senior right-hander Lee Oxendine (Laurinburg, N.C.) posted eight strikeouts as he tossed five innings after the home run to Moore. Somers had three in his one-plus inning, while Bulldog senior starter Dusty White (Charlotte, N.C.) fanned four.

Senior Brett Hatley (Salisbury, N.C.) scattered nine hits over 4 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. He got excellent relief help from sophomore Clay Watson (Lexington, N.C.), who went 3 1/3 innings, allowing no runs off two hits with four strikeouts. Senior Travis McSweeney (Palm Harbor, Fla.) got the final two outs for the Indians and improved to 3-0 overall.

Moore went three-for-four to pace the Catawba offense. Huffman, Hohn, Parker and senior third baseman/outfielder Craige Lyerly (Salisbury, N.C.) each had a pair of hits. Lyerly extended his streak of reaching base safely to 75 games. Yeung, sophomore shortstop Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.), sophomore left fielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) and sophomore right fielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) tallied a pair of hits for Wingate.

(Special thanks to Catawba College SID Jim Lewis for providing this story.)