May 15, 2007

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Four Western Carolina pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout, striking out a dozen Panther hitters along the way as the Catamounts extended their current winning streak to six games with a 4-0 non-conference victory over High Point Tuesday night at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.

Senior right-hander Tyler Johnson (3-3) matched his season-high, tossing five innings of scoreless, three-hit ball while working around one walk with six strikeouts. He was lifted prior to the sixth in favor of freshman left-hander, Chris Masters, who struck out three of the seven batters he faced while allowing just one base hit. Senior Brock Thornburg and junior Greg Holland each pitched an inning of scoreless, hitless relief to wrap up the game, combining for three strikeouts including two by Holland in the top of the ninth inning.

Five different Catamounts posted base hits, with senior John Ingram securing a two bagger in the sixth to represent one of WCU's two extra base hits in the game as freshman pinch-hitter Adam Baker also laced an opposite field double to the gap in left-center in the eighth. Junior Barrett Shaft finished 0-for-1 on the evening, but plated a pair of WCU's runs after being hit by a pitch in the fifth and walked in the seventh. Also posting hits and scoring runs were freshman Nick Liles and Brent Greer, who ignited Western's rally in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Despite having his 19-game hitting streak snapped with a 0-for-2 outing, senior Kenny Smith accounted for two of Western's runs on the night, driving in one on a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a second run on a bouncing fielder's choice to the left side in the seventh.

Liles opened the home portion of the fifth inning with a single up the middle, advancing to second on a one-out base hit by Greer to center. Shaft was plunked by a pitch to load the bases, with the next batter, junior Blake Murphy, drawing a walk to drive in the game's first run. Like Shaft, his classmate, Steven Strausbaugh, was also hit by a pitch to drive in the second run with Smith's fly ball out to right capping the scoring in the fifth, 3-0 Catamounts.

Freshman Brent Greer made his second-consecutive start at short coming back from a broken bone in his glove hand.

Western (38-15) would add an insurance run in the seventh as Shaft drew his second walk of the game to stand at first. He was moved to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run by he and Murphy, with Smith bouncing one to the left side of the infield on a fielder's choice to score the game's fourth run and provide the final tally, 4-0.

Lost in the shuffle was the strong pitching effort of Panther starter, Tony Flores. The senior from Jupiter, Fla., held Western hitless through the first four innings of play, but offered up seven free passes in the form of four walks and three hit batsmen in five innings of work. Flores (4-2) was saddled with three earned runs and the loss with Matt Christie finishing off the final three innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts.

Western Carolina returns to action this Thursday through Saturday in the final home series of the regular season. The Catamounts host fifth-place Georgia Southern at 7:00 pm both Thursday and Friday night a Childress Field/Hennon Stadium, before closing the year with a 2:00 pm first pitch on Saturday on Senior Day in Cullowhee.