March 3, 2002

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - After being rained out on Saturday, the Western Carolina baseball team swept a Sunday (Mar. 3) doubleheader with North Carolina A&T at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts scored 10 runs in the fourth inning of game one to win 16-3 and scored in each inning in game two to win 18-1.

Western Carolina improves to 6-4 on the season and will host regional rival UNC Asheville on Wednesday (Mar. 6) at 2:00 pm. North Carolina A&T falls to 5-16.

In game one, the Aggies took advantage of a pair of WCU errors to take 1-0 lead in the top of the second. The Catamounts answered with a single run in the bottom half on a solo home run by sophomore catcher Brian Sigmon.

Western tacked on four runs in the third. After walks to Alan Beck and Todd Buchanan, All-America centerfielder Donovan Minero blasted a three-run home run to center. Todd Roper would later drive in Sigmon on an RBI fielder's choice.

North Carolina cut their deficit to 5-2 in the fourth when Carlos Geathers doubled, then scored after two wild pitches. Western put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth, scoring 10 runs on eight hits. Ryan Schade and Beck each had two hits in the frame and only three of WCU's 10 runs in the inning were earned thanks to three Aggie errors.

The Cats added a single run in the fifth. Freshman third baseman Clint Ramsey doubled and scored on a double by freshman designated hitter Alex Gary. Ramsey was 2-for-2 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI.

North Carolina A&T closed the scoring with a solo home run by Patrick Battle, his first homer of the season.

Beck led the offensive attack for the Cats, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored. In addition to Ramsey collecting two hits, Minero, Sigmon and Gary accomplished the feat. Minero had a game-high four RBI, while Buchanan, Gary and Roper each added two RBI.

Seth Foster improved to 3-0 on the season, surrendering four hits, two runs and one walk in 5.0 innings. Only one of his runs were earned, to lower his season ERA to 0.96, while he struck out five.

Starting pitcher Travis Scott fell to 0-3, surrendering 11 hits, 14 runs and six walks in 3.2 innings.

In game two, WCU took advantage of two NC A&T errors on the same play to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first. With the bases loaded, a Minero ground ball got by the Aggie shortstop and later the Aggie left fielder. Minero ended up on third, while Schade, Beck and Buchanan all scored. Two batters later freshman catcher Chris Aeschlimann plated Minero on an RBI single to right field.

Buchanan singled home Goldston in the second inning and Aeschlimann hit his first career home run to give WCU a 6-0 lead through three complete. In the fourth, Western had a seven-run, seven-hit inning to make the score 13-0. Like in Western's big inning of game one, Beck had a pair of hits in the frame to lead the attack. He led off the inning with a double and had a two-run double to cap the inning. Senior shortstop Dan Woodley also drove in two in the inning, scoring Doug Myers and Aeschlimann on a triple.

North Carolina A&T scored its lone run in the fifth on a solo homer by Adonis Smith. Western answered in the bottom half on a two-run blast by Myers. The Catamounts added three runs on four hits in the sixth to provide the final margin, 18-1.

WCU freshman starting pitcher Brian Barnes (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, allowing zero runs and four hits in 4.0 innings. Aggie starter Charles Miller fell to 0-3, giving up six hits, six runs (three earned) and four walks in 3.0 innings.

Beck also led the Cats in game two with a 4-for-5 performance, scoring three times and driving in two. Goldston was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while Aeschlimann was 3-for-5 with a game-high four RBI. Buchanan and freshman Chris Davis each added two hits.

Austin Love had two of NC A&T's six hits, while Smith accounted for the Aggies' lone run.

On Sunday, Beck extended his streak to 66 games of reaching base safely (hit, walk or hit by pitch), dating back to 2000. Also, WCU second baseman Davis played against his older brother Arthur Davis, who is also a second baseman for the Aggies. The two hail from Dudley.