SALISBURY, N.C. | Georgia College & State University nearly rallied from a nine-run deficit as the No. 19 Bobcats dropped game one of the NCAA Division II Baseball Southeast Super Regional to Catawba College 9-6 Friday (May 24) evening at Newman Park.

The No. 5 Catawba Indians improved to 43-15 as they take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. The Bobcats saw their nine-game win streak snapped as they fell to 37-21. GCSU will need to win both games Saturday (May 25) if they want to make its third trip to the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship that starts June 1 in Cary, North Carolina.  First pitch for game two is 3:30 p.m. followed by an if-necessary game 45 minutes following that contest.

Catawba scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings to go along with three-run frames in the fourth and sixth innings to open up a 9-0 lead off GCSU starter John Luke Glanton (11-5), who surrendered season highs in hits (15) and runs (9) in 5.2 innings.

GCSU, which collected 12 hits, started its comeback in the eighth inning. Brandon Bellflower connected on a three-run home to right field to cut the deficit to 9-3. It was the 11th homer of the season for Bellflower.

The Bobcats continued the rally in the ninth as Cam McNearney and Mason Poole led off with back-to-back singles and Rand Bestermann was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gabriel Wuerth drove in a run on a single through the right side and Braeden Smith followed with a bases-loaded walk to cut the margin to 9-5. Bellflower followed with a sacrifice fly to get the Bobcats within three runs, but Catawba reliever Hayden Simmerson got the final two outs on infield ground outs with the tying run at the plate.

Evan Cowan led the Bobcats with three hits, while Wuerth, Bellflower and Poole had two apiece. Bellflower also had his 23rd double of 2024.

Austin Fine (9-3) scattered five hits and six strikeouts over six innings to pick up win for Catawba.