April 23, 2005

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Brian Barnes pitched a career-high 7.2 innings, striking out five, and seven Catamounts had at least two hits as Western Carolina (22-17 overall, 10-10 Southern Conference) snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-6 victory over Georgia Southern Saturday evening at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. The game got a 55 minute late start as the teams had to complete Friday's game first, a contest the Eagles (26-12, 12-4 SoCon) won 17-5.

Barnes (2-2) gave Western a much needed lift on the mound, allowing 10 hits and six runs (five earned) with just two walks. After giving up two homers in the first two innings, Barnes kept the Eagles in check over the next five innings, surrendering just three hits and an unearned run.

Also, the Catamount offense, which had been struggling, came to life as WCU head coach Todd Raleigh shuffled the batting order. Seeing his first action as the number two hitter, Barrett Shaft responded with a three-hit performance, driving in two, while Tim Hallam, Steven Strausbaugh, Jonathan Greene, Blake Murpjy, Chris Davis and Brandon Zollman each added to hits.

The Eagles took an early 2-0 lead in the first as Jason Hurst hit his sixth home run of the season, bringing home Logan Phillips on the play. The Cats cut their deficit in half in the home half thanks to a double by Strausbaugh and an RBI single by Jared Greenwood.

Georgia Southern used the long ball once again in the second when David Richardson hit a two-out, solo homer to left-center, the first career blast for the freshman.

In the bottom of the second, Western sent nine men to the plate, scoring four runs on five hits and never looked back. The Cats' first three batters reached on a single, walk and single. The last hit came from Davis who plated Greene. Also on the play, Davis advanced to second and Murphy to third on the attempted play at the plate. Zollman hit a sacrifice fly to center. After an infield single by Hallam, Davis would score on a Shaft single, followed by an RBI single by Strausbaugh.

Western kept the momentum in the third, scoring four more runs to make the score 9-3. With runners on the corners, Zollman drove in Greene with a single through the left side. Hallam followed with an RBI single, but an error by the right fielder allowed Zollman to score as well. Shaft then plated Hallam with a single to center.

For the second consecutive inning, WCU's Greene started the inning by being hit by a pitch. After a Murphy single, Davis executed a hit and run, allowing Greene to score and give the Cats a 10-3 lead through four.

In the sixth, the Eagles took advantage of a hit and an error to tally a run. Brent Stephens, who reached on an error, would score with two outs on an RBI single by pinch hitter Derrick Smith.

Georgia Southern got a one-out single by Richardson in the eighth, followed by a double by Jeremy Beckham to put runners on second and third. James Payne cut GSU's deficit to five with an RBI ground out and Phillips followed with an RBI single. That prompted WCU to make a pitching change as Barnes lasted a career-high 7.2 innings. New pitcher Luke Miller came on and got a strikeout to keep the score 10-6.

The Cats added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI triple by Greene, driving in pinch runner Chris Ahearn.

GSU starting pitcher Josh Lairsey (7-2) suffered the loss and ended his streak of seven consecutive wins. He allowed 13 hits and 10 runs (nine earned) with a walk and five strikeouts in 4.0 innings. The Eagle offense was paced by Phillips, who was 3-for-5, while Greg Dowling and Richardson each added to hits.

Western Carolina and Georgia Southern will play the rubber match of the three-game set on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:00 pm.