Cleveland Yetis Baseball Set New School Record with 9–8 Thriller Over Catawba Valley

Shelby, NC — In a dramatic, seesaw contest at the Yetis Athletics Park, the Cleveland Yetis baseball team edged out Catawba Valley 9–8, marking their 32nd win of the 2025 season and setting a new school record for victories. With seven regular season games still on the docket, the Yetis now stand at an impressive 32–13 overall.

Game Summary: A Slugfest from Start to Finish

Both squads brought the bats in a high-scoring affair that saw momentum swing multiple times. Catawba Valley opened the scoring in the 2nd inning with a solo blast from Brody Taylor and a two-run double by Pierce Bouwman, putting them up 3–0. Cleveland responded quickly with a three-run bottom half, highlighted by an RBI single from Avery Russell and a run-scoring walk from Riley Stiles.

Catawba reclaimed the lead in the 3rd and 4th innings with small-ball execution, including a sac fly by Mason Mozeley, but the Yetis once again matched the output. Stiles' RBI single in the 4th tied it at 4–4.

Cleveland then began to pull ahead with two runs in the 6th off a Logan Norris single and an RBI base hit by Owen Liberto in the 7th. But Catawba Valley wasn't done—capitalizing on wild pitches and timely hits, they scored three in the top of the 8th to retake an 8–7 lead.

The Yetis, known for late-inning heroics this season, rose to the occasion once again. Trenton Doss crushed a clutch double to score Stiles, and Nick Morris drove in Doss with a sac fly, giving the Yetis a 9–8 advantage they would not relinquish.

Standout Performers

Cleveland Yetis

• Riley Stiles: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 SB

• Trenton Doss: 2-for-3, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, game-tying double

• Avery Russell: 2-for-3, RBI, 1 SB

• Logan Norris: 1-for-5, 2 RBIs

• Pitching Heroes:

  • Keely Furr earned the win (1-0), pitching 0.2 scoreless innings with a strikeout.

  • Kohen Orr secured his first save, shutting the door in the 9th.

Catawba Valley

• Pierce Bouwman: 3-for-6, 2 RBIs, 2 doubles

• Brody Taylor: 2-for-2, HR, RBI, 2 BB

• Josh Meadows: RBI single in 8th

• Pitching Note: Starter Kaden Varela-Payne struck out 9 over 5.2 innings despite giving up 5 runs.

Pitching Carousel

The game saw both bullpens tested heavily, with Cleveland using eight pitchers and Catawba Valley rotating through four. Despite combining for 21 strikeouts and 15 walks, the game's offensive firepower overshadowed the mound struggles.

Milestone Victory

With this victory, the Yetis baseball team has set a new school record for wins in a single season, surpassing their former record of 31 wins in 2022 under Coach Tyler Dawson.