April 23, 2005

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - In a game that covered two days due to inclement weather, Georgia Southern handed Western Carolina a 17-5 loss at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium, which started Friday at 7:00 pm, resumed at 4:00 pm Saturday and ended at 4:19.

Georgia Southern catcher Flint Wipke was a single shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and four runs scored. Also, third baseman Logan Phillips was 4-for-5 with six RBI.

Georgia Southern jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. James Payne singled up the middle to start the contest and advanced to third after a ground out and a stolen base. Greg Dowling plated Payne with double off "The Purple Monster" in left. Brett Pelfrey followed with an RBI triple to right.

The Eagles padded their advantage with four runs in the second. Wipke had a leadoff triple and Brent Stephens was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. Payne brought the two runners home with a triple to right-center field. Phillips followed with an RBI single and scored on a double down the left field line by Jason Hurst.

The Catamounts got on the board in the bottom of the second. Western loaded the bases with no outs, but could only manage one run, making the score 6-1, when Jonathan Greene hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Steven Strausbaugh.

Georgia Southern answered with two runs in the top of the third. Wipke had a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a single to right-center by Stephens. Stephens would later score on a single to center, but Barrett Shaft gunned down Payne at third on the play to get the final out of the inning and limit the damage. After being held scoreless in the fourth, the Eagles made its 10-1 ballgame in the fifth. Wipke leadoff double to start the frame and would eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Phillips. Stephens, who was hit by a pitch, would make his way to third and score on a wild pitch.

Western cut their deficit to six (10-4) with three runs in the sixth. With one out and one on, Jared Greenwood delivered a two-run home run, his fifth blast of the season. Strausbaugh followed with a walk and moved to third on Blake Murphy's double. Chris Davis drove in Strausbaugh with a single through the left side of the infield. The Eagles answered with a run in the top of the seventh. Phillips had a one-out walk, moved to third on a Jason Hurst double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dowling.

In the eighth, Georgia Southern got a leadoff single by David Richardson and Wipke followed with a two-run shot over "The Purple Monster." After a walk and a hit batter, Phillips brought home the two with a double down the left field line. In the home half, Western put runners on first and third with two outs before the game was suspended. When the game resumed Saturday afternoon, Murphy scored on a balk, but a ground out ended the threat.

With two outs in the ninth, Stephens singled and moved to second on a Ponder walk. Payne hit an RBI bloop single, followed by and RBI single by Phillips, providing the final 17-5 margin.

Everett Teaford (6-1) picked up the win, pitching the 7.2 innings prior to the game being suspended. He allowed five hits and five runs (four earned) with four walks and six strikeouts. WCU starter Jon Kibler (0-3) took the loss.