March 11, 2007

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Behind the combined 9-for-9 hitting performance of junior Barrett Shaft and senior transfer Kenny Smith, Western Carolina used two big run producing innings to take Sunday's rubber match against the Xavier Musketeers, 14-7, at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.

Shaft was a perfect 5-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, a walk and three RBI, while Smith was 4-for-4 with two homers and a game-high tying four runs driven in. The duo represented the only Catamounts with multiple hits on the afternoon. Senior John Ingram blasted his third home run of the series, a two-run shot to right, while junior Blake Murphy drove in two on an RBI double.

Western (9-6) jumped out early on the Musketeers, taking advantage of an infield error and single to put two aboard for Smith. The Asheville, N.C., product hammered his first of two homers, clearing the left centerfield fence for a three-run shot to give the Catamounts the early, 3-0, advantage. Freshman infielder Brent Greer drew a one-out walk and scored from first on an RBI double down the left field line by Shaft to extend the lead to four. After moving to third on a second Musketeer miscue, Shaft scored on a sacrifice fly to right by junior Steven Strausbaugh, giving WCU a 5-0 lead.

Ingram tallied an unearned run in the third, reaching on an error and advancing on a walk and a wild pitch before trotting home on sophomore Mitchell Hatley's sacrifice fly to center, pushing the advantage to 6-0.

Western Carolina freshman Chris Masters was perfect through the first three innings in his first collegiate weekend start, striking out three. However, the Marietta, Ga., native ran into trouble in the fourth, surrendering a lead-off homer that trimmed the lead to five, 6-1, before being chased in the fifth after allowing six unearned runs. Masters finished with 4.2 innings pitched scattering five hits and allowing seven runs, only two of which were earned, and striking out four but did not factor in on the decision.

Trailing by one, 7-6, after Xavier's six-run fifth, the Catamounts responded with seven runs in the home half of the frame to reclaim the lead for good. Smith lifted a one-out, solo shot over the right center field fence to knot the game at seven. With Greer aboard with a single, Shaft hit his homer to right to push the lead to a pair, 9-7. A pair of walks to Jason Haynes and Strausbaugh turned into runs on a two-RBI double by Murphy, with the Waynesville native touching home on Ingram's two-run blast to right.

All told, WCU scored six of the seven innings in the bottom of the fifth inning with two out to lead 13-7.

Western would push a final run across in the eighth as Shaft singled to right and scored on freshman Adam Baker's RBI double to left center field to provide the final tally, 14-7.

Junior Tyler Johnson (1-2), who came on in relief of Masters in the fifth, threw three and a third of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit, one walk and tallying five strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season. His classmate, Greg Holland, closed out the game by facing four batters, walking one, in the ninth in a non-save situation.

Xavier (2-14) starter Kyle Cowden suffered the loss after pitching 4.2 innings, giving up nine runs - only six of which were earned - on seven hits with five walks and a strikeout. Offensively for the Musketeers, Jordan Wolf finished 3-for-4 with an RBI on a solo home run. First baseman Drew Roberts also hit a home run, accounting for four runs on a grand slam in Xavier's six-run fifth inning.

Western Carolina begins play in a very busy week on Tuesday as it travels to Athens, Ga., for a 5:00 pm first pitch against the Georgia Bulldogs (5-10), which dropped two of three to Gardner-Webb this weekend. The Catamounts return home on Wednesday afternoon to host the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in a Parkway Series event at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. First pitch on Wednesday is slated for 4:00 pm.