March 5, 2005

Final Stats

Conway, S.C. - Western Carolina relief pitchers Jeremy Ellenburg, Luke Miller and Brian McCullen retired the final 10 batters they faced, while Blake Murphy had a sacrifice fly in the sixth the lead the Catamounts (5-3) to a 4-3 victory over James Madison (1-5) Saturday afternoon at the Springmaid Beach Resort Rumble, played at Coastal Carolina's Watson Stadium.

It was the first time Western Carolina and James Madison had met on the baseball diamond. Also, the game pitted two former baseball staff members against each other as current WCU mentor Todd Raleigh faced JMU head coach Spanky McFarland. Raleigh was an assistant with the Dukes from 1994-98, coaching the 1998 season with McFarland and serving as interim head coach there prior to McFarland's arrival.

Ellenburg, the victim of two unusual plays which led to two runs, improved to 1-0. He entered the game to start the fourth and lasted 4.1 innings with six hits, two runs and now walks with four strikeouts. Miller closed the eight by getting two ground outs. McCullen pitched a perfect ninth, getting a ground and two K's to record his second save of the season.

Trey McDaniel got Western started in the bottom of the second with a solo home run over the left field fence, giving the Cats an early 1-0 lead.

James Madison answered with a run in the top of the third to tie the game. With one out, first baseman Matt Bristow homered to left-center field. Kellen Kulbacki followed with a double and Sean Loso walked, but WCU starter Jon Kibler induced a double play to end the threat.

Western got that run back in the bottom of the third to regain the advantage. After a leadoff triple by Brandon Zollman, he scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch by JMU starter Bobby Lasko. The Catamounts padded their advantage in the bottom of the fourth. Jared Greenwood had a leadoff double down the left field line and scored when Steven Strausbaugh delivered a two-out single through the right side of the infield, making the score 3-1.

The Dukes used back-to-back unusual plays in the top of the fifth to eventually score two runs and knot the contest. Bristow popped up to the pitchers mound, but on a windy day, the ball fell to the ground for an infield single. Kulbacki then lined a ball to second, which bounded away from Chris Davis into center field for double to put runners on second and third. Ellenburg got a ground out, but Skyler Doom singled to plate Bristow and move Kulbacki to third. Michael Cowgill tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to center.

In the bottom of the sixth, Western wrestled back the lead, scoring once to make the score 4-3, but threatened to blow the game open. Greenwood drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored thanks to a sacrifice fly by Murphy. McDaniel then walked to chase Lasko and new Dukes pitcher David Rich immediately walked Strausbaugh to put runners on first and second. After a fly out, Zollman got an infield single to load the bases and chase Rich. Travis Risser then entered the game for JMU and got pinch hitter Tim Hallam to ground out to kept it a one-run game.

Not only did the WCU pitchers retire the final 10 batters faced in the game, but, after allowing the sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth, the Catamount hurlers only allowed one baserunner over the final 13 batters. The only Duke to reach base, Matt Sluder, singled off Ellenburg, but was retired trying to steal second for a round-about 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. In two games this weekend, WCU pitchers have struck out 22 batters, while walking just two.

Zollman led the Catamount offensively, going 2-for-4 to improve his season batting average to a lofty .429. Greenwood, who doubled and walked, scored twice. Kibler did not figure in the decision, allowing two hits, one runs and two walks in 3.0 innings.

For JMU, Bristow and Kulbacki each had two hits with Bristow scoring twice and Kulbacki once. Lasko (0-1) suffered the loss, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing five hits, four runs and two walks with three strikeouts.

Western Carolina will wrap up the three-day event facing host and 23rd-ranked Coastal Carolina on Sunday at approximately 3:00 pm.