March 18, 2005

Final Stats

Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - After a game-tying home run by Western Carolina's Nate Hall in the top of the eighth, the 18th-ranked College of Charleston Cougars answered with a run of their own in the home half to edge the Catamounts 2-1 Friday night at Patriots Point Field. While Western falls to 11-5 overall (3-1 in the SoCon), four of the Cats losses have now come at the hands of nationally-ranked teams, including two one-run losses.

The Cougars (14-4 overall and 4-0 in the Southern Conference) threatened twice to score early in the contest. First, in the bottom of the third, Oliver Marmol got the first hit of the game with a seeing-eye single up the middle. After a Marmol stolen base, Phillip Coker made it runners on the corners with a single to left. Brett Gardner looked to drive in Marmol with a ground ball, but WCU first baseman Trey McDaniel threw the runner out at the plate. Byron Barber then popped up to end the inning.

Charleston also threatened in the fifth. After a one-out walk to Brett Anderson, who stole second, Marmol singled to right field. Anderson tried to score on the play, but was gunned out at home by Steven Strausbaugh. The Cats dodged another bullet in the sixth. With two outs, Barber singled and moved to third on a D.J. Wabick double. However, WCU starting pitcher Caleb McConnell got Chris Campbell to ground out to end the inning.

The Cougars finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Anderson sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead.

Western (11-5, 3-1 SoCon) tied the game in the top of the eighth. With one out, Hall homered to right field, his second blast of the season.

CofC answered with a run In the bottom of the eighth to make the score 2-1. Coker had a leadoff triple for CofC to chase McConnell. New Catamount pitcher Brian Barnes got a ground out, but Barber followed with a double down the left field line to put the Cougars up 2-1. Luke Miller then came out the Catamount bullpen to get a pop out and a ground out to get out of the inning.

Brett Harker (3-0) got the win in relief for the Cougars. He pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. CofC starter Ryan Edell pitched the first 7.1 innings, allowing four hits, one run and two walks with six strikeouts. Offensively for the Cougars, Coker, Barber, Wabick and Marmol each collected two hits.

McConnell (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing eight hits, two runs and two walks with three strikeouts over seve-plus innings. Hall and Tim Hallam each had two hits to lead the Cats offensively. Chris Davis accounted for Western's only other hit in the contest.

Western and Charleston will play game two of the three-game set on Saturday (Mar. 19). First pitch at Patriots Point Filed is set for 1:00 pm.