March 22, 2008

Box Score

Statesboro, Ga. - Sparked by nine runs in the first two innings, Georgia Southern out-slugged Western Carolina, 19-10, Friday night at J.I. Clements Stadium in the Southern Conference opener for both squads. The two teams combined for five home runs on the evening, three by WCU.

GSU (12-8, 1-0 SoCon) opened scoring in the home half of the first inning with four runs, capitalizing on back-to-back walks followed by a two-RBI double by catcher Griffin Benedict to grab a 2-0 lead. Two additional Eagle runs crossed the plate on a groundout and a sacrifice fly.

The Catamounts trimmed the deficit to three in the top of the second as junior J.C. Lyons reached on a single to right centerfield, moving around to third on a fielding error by the Eagles' left fielder on a ball hit by senior Barrett Shaft. Lyons was able to scamper home on a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore Dylan de Graaf.

Yet, in the bottom of the second, Georgia Southern broke the game open with five runs including a grand slam home run by A.J. Winsberger and a solo shot by David Richardson for a 9-1 edge after two innings.

Sophomore Brent Greer pulled WCU (6-12, 0-1 SoCon) back within five with a three-run home run to centerfield in the top of the fourth, with Lyons blasting a solo shot to the same spot in the top of the fifth to trim the deficit to four, 9-5. However, the Eagles plated three runs in the home portion of the fifth and five in the bottom of the sixth to pull away for the win despite a third Catamount home run - a mammoth shot to left by senior Blake Murphy in the eighth.

Greer finished 3-for-6 with two singles and a three-run home run to lead WCU on the night with Lyons posting the only other multiple hit game, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk.

Senior Tyler Sexton was saddled with his third loss of the season, lasting four and a third innings allowing 12 runs, 11 of which were earned, on 10, hits with three walks. Freshman Geoff Turner and junior Corey Martin each tossed an inning and a third, while sophomore infielder Reid Rollison made his collegiate pitching debut tossing the final inning of hitless relief, working around a pair of walks.

Game two of the three-game SoCon series is set for Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm. The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network with an air-time of 2:15 pm, and can be heard locally in Western North Carolina on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee or online at www.WWCUFM.com.