March 30, 2007

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina junior starter Tyler Sexton tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts in a season-high eight innings pitched and classmate Barrett Shaft went 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored as the Catamounts downed The Citadel Bulldogs on Friday night, 7-3, in Southern Conference action at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.

The win snapped WCU's four-game losing skid and was its first league victory of the season improving the Catamounts to 1-3 and 15-11 overall. The victory also was the 230th for head coach Todd Raleigh, moving him into sole possession of second all-time in WCU school history, bypassing former teammate, the late Keith LeClair. The Citadel, playing its first official road game of the season, fell to 17-9, 1-3 in SoCon play.

First pitch of game two of the scheduled three is set for Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm in Cullowhee. Western red-shirt sophomore transfer Drew Saberhagen (LHP, 2-1, 2.68 ERA) is scheduled to face Bulldog sophomore, Matt Crim (LHP, 2-2, 4.89 ERA).

The story of the night was the pitching performance of Sexton, who only allowed one hit past the fourth inning. The High Point, N.C., native scattered a total of six hits, allowing three earned runs and just one walk while matching his career-best by fanning 11 on 126 pitches. Junior Greg Holland closed the game out, striking out one of the three batters he faced in the top of the ninth inning in a non-save situation.

Shaft finished the game a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, tallying a single in the first, a double in the third and a solo home run in the sixth. He was also hit by a pitch in the fourth to tally three runs scored. Senior Kenny Smith was the only other Catamount to post a multiple hit game, going 2-for-4 with a single and a double, one run scored and an RBI. First-baseman John Ingram drove in a game-high two RBI in the win.

After a scoreless first inning, Western used back-to-back singles by Smith and junior Steven Strausbaugh to put runners on the corners with no outs in the home portion of the second inning. Freshman Nick Liles drove home the first run with a one-out grounder to second, reaching on the fielder's choice after beating out the throw from the shortstop.

The Citadel answered in the top of the third using a lead-off single down the right field line by catcher Sid Fallaw, a one-out double in the same direction by second baseman Bryan Altman and an RBI single up the middle by Chris Swauger to tie the game at one apiece. Following Sexton's second strikeout of the frame, Altman raced home on a wild pitch to give the Bulldogs the 2-1 lead, with Sexton recovering to strike out the side to end the rally.

Western retaliated, though, with four doubles before the first out was recorded in the home half of the third, scoring four runs on five total hits. Shaft opened the frame with a first pitch double to right center and scored when junior Blake Murphy doubled down the right field line. The Waynesville, N.C., native advanced to third on a single by junior Jonathan Greene which put runners at the corners for Ingram who lifted a two RBI double down the left field line as WCU reclaimed the lead, 4-2. A fourth run touched home as Smith doubled to right field to drive in Ingram.

The Catamounts extended the lead in the fourth as Shaft, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a sacrifice fly to left center field by Greene to push the lead to 6-2. WCU added another run in the sixth as Shaft laced a two-out, 0-1 pitch over the wall in left center field for the 7-2 count.

In the eighth, the Bulldogs made things interesting as Swauger was first-pitch swinging, drilling a shot to right center field that appeared to clear the fence. Upon further review, the umpires signaled a ground rule double, putting Swauger at second with no outs. A fly out by Sonny Meade to center advanced Swauger to third, eventually scoring on a ground out to first, providing the final tally, 7-3.

Bulldog starter Wes Wrenn suffered his third defeat of the season, falling to 3-3 overall after going six innings allowing seven earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Relievers Raymond Copenhaver and Nick Sprowls combined for two innings of hitless and scoreless baseball for the Cadets. Offensively, Swauger led the team with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate with the double as five Bulldog hitters combined for their six hits.

Fans can follow all of the action in the series on live GameTracker, presented by Carolina West Sports Medicine and West Care Health Systems, by logging onto CatamountSports.com. The Citadel Sports Network is also providing play-by-play with announcer Darren Goldwater online at www.CitadelSports.com.