March 18, 2006

WCU-Princeton Game One Final Stats

WCU-Princeton Game Two Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Over the course of Saturday's baseball doubleheader, Steven Strausbaugh hit for the cycle, while Tim Hallam and Trey McDaniel each added four hits as well, to lead Western Carolina to an afternoon sweep over Princeton at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts (8-9) won game one, 10-3, while taking game two, 13-8, over the Tigers (3-6).

In game one, Strausbaugh was 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Donnie Wilson was 2-of-4, as all but one starter got at least one base hit in the game. While the offense was producing, Catamount pitchers Tyler Sexton and Jeremy Ellenburg kept Princeton's offense in check. Sexton, the reigning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week, had another solid outing to improve to 4-1. The sophomore pitched seven innings, scattering eight hits and allowing just one earned run (three total) with no walks and four strikeouts. Only one of Ellenburg's batters reached base, that coming on a WCU error, over his two innings of work.

Princeton took an early 1-0 lead in game one as its top hitter, Zach Wendkos, started the second inning with a home run, his third blast of the season. Jonathan Greene answered back for WCU an inning later with his first home run of the season, tying the game at 1-1.

Then, in the fourth, the Catamounts sent 10 men to the plate, taking advantage of four hits and three Tiger errors to take a 6-1 lead. Western put the game out of reach by scoring four more runs in the sixth, all unearned, courtesy of a Princeton error and five WCU hits, including a two-run triple by Strausbaugh.

Princeton cut its deficit to three (6-3) with two unearned runs in the seventh on RBI singles by Derek Beckman and Aaron Prince to provide the final margin.

Prince led the way for the Tigers offensively, getting three of their eight hits, while Mathew Becker added two hits. Erik Stiller suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season. He allowed 11 hits and 10 runs. However, only three of the runs were earned.

In game two, Hallam and McDaniel each had three hits, while four other Catamounts contributed two hits each.

Strausbaugh and Blake Murphy gave Western an early 2-0 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Strausbaugh hit his ninth home run of the season. Then, after a McDaniel double, Murphy delivered an RBI triple to right.

Princeton scored three runs in the top of the third to take a 3-2 lead. After single by Spencer Lucian and Dan DeGeorge, Prince had an RBI single and Andre Salini followed with a two-ruin single.

The lead was short lived as Western answered with two runs in the home half of the third. After single by Jason Hayes and Barrett Shaft, Strausbaugh had an RBI double, followed by an RBI single from McDaniel. An inning later, Shaft put Western up 6-3 with a two-run double.

The Tigers got to within a run (6-5) after tallying single runs in the fifth (solo home run by Salini) and sixth (RBI ground out by Prince) innings.

However, the Catamounts sent 12 men to the plate in the eighth, scoring seven runs on five hits and three Princeton errors. Greene and Wilson provided most of the offense, getting back-to-back, two-run singles.

Princeton tried to mount a late charge in the ninth. After a sacrifice fly by Wendkos, the Tigers extended the inning and added one run with a WCU error on the potential game ending play. Princeton would tack on one run, providing the 13-8 final, before WCU's Andrew Larrimore got a ground out to end the contest.

Strausbuagh, who was 2-for-2 in game two with two runs, led a contingent of six Catamounts with two RBI in the night cap. He was joined by Shaft, McDaniel, Murphy, Greene and Andy John. Brock Thornburg pitched the first 3.1 innings for Western, allowing five hits and three runs with a walk and five strikeouts. Brian McCullen came out of the bullpen to notch his first win of the season, improving to 1-1. He allowed three hit and two runs over 3.2 innings with one walk and four strikeouts. With Western clinging to a one-run lead at the time, Greg Holland pitched the eighth inning, striking out all three batters he faced.

In game two for Princeton, DeGeorge, Salini and Micah Kaplan each had two hits with Salini adding three RBI. Gavin Fabian (1-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing 10 hits and six runs (four earned) over 3.2 innings.

Western Carolina and Princeton will play the third of the three-game set on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:00 pm.