April 26, 2006

Final Stats

Boiling Springs, N.C. - After cutting a 6-0 deficit to one through six, Western Carolina allowed four runs in the seventh to drop a 10-5 decision to Gardner-Webb (20-20) Wednesday afternoon at Varsity Field. The Catamounts fall to 23-19 and begin a three-game weekend series hosting Southern Conference foe Davidson, starting Friday at 7:00 pm.

Gardner-Webb, leading by one, sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh and took its 10-5 lead. Jonathan Ahearn had leadoff double and moved to third on a ground out. On an attempted squeeze play, Ahearn was credited with stealing home as the bunt was missed and the ball got past Western's catcher. With two out and two on, Matt Maloney was the beneficiary of a wet field, getting a two-run triple to center when Western's Barrett Shaft slipped. Matt Higginson capped the scoring with an RBI bunt single.

The Bulldogs scored first when Jeremy McCann started the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to left field. Maloney followed that with a round tripper of his own, a near duplicate of McCann.

In the fourth, Maloney gave Gardner-Webb a 5-0 cushion. After consecutive leadoff singles, Maloney hit his second home run of the contest, a three-run blast to left-center. One inning later, the Bulldogs turned a leadoff walk by Ahearn into their sixth run. Ahearn stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Blake Lalli's single.

With two outs in the sixth, Western's offense came to life, scoring five runs to trim its deficit to one. Shaft started things with an infield single and Steven Strausbaugh walked. Trey McDaniel plated Shaft with a sharp single to center and Blake Murphy scored Strausbaugh with a single to left-center. Jonathan Greene, who had two hits, then cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left, giving the sophomore seven homers on the season.

Jeremy Ellenburg was saddled with the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. He allowed only allowed two hits - two solo home runs - with no walks and two strikeouts. Jonathon Ban got the win for Gardner-Webb, improving to 2-2. He only allowed one walk with four strikeouts in four innings.