April 13, 2008

Box Score

Elon, N.C. - With runners at second and third and two out in the home half of the 11th inning, the Elon Phoenix scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch to cap a wild affair with a 3-2 win over Western Carolina Saturday night at Latham Park.

Chris Dove, who allowed a great scoring opportunity for Western in the top of the 10th inning with a dropped fly ball in right center field, drew a one-out walk, advancing to second on the first of two wild pitches in the inning. Harry Austin walked to put two aboard, with both advancing a base on a double steal to move into scoring position.

Catamount reliever Chris Masters (3-3), who pitched around three walks with four strikeouts in an inning and a third, was aggressively going after right fielder, Cory Harrilchak, when his inside pitch got away from catcher Stephen Notaro allowing Dove to scamper home for the game-winning run.

Western (15-18, 5-6 SoCon) was limited to four base hits on the night by Phoenix pitching - but two of the four accounted for both Catamount runs. Seniors Blake Murphy and Jason Haynes belted home runs in the second and seventh for WCU. Sophomores Nick Liles and Dylan de Graaf accounted for the two additional Catamount hits, both singles.

Making his first appearance since being injured in the Georgia Southern series, WCU junior Mike Tavernier worked seven solid innings, allowing two earned runs while scattering six hits. Pitching with a protective facemask, the Clearwater, Fla., native worked around a pair of walks with four strikeouts in the start. Senior Tyler Sexton worked 2.1 innings in scoreless relief while limiting Elon to two hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout.

Western scratched the board first copying a page from Friday night. Murphy laced an 0-2 breaking ball over the left field fence to give the Catamounts a 1-0 lead. The Catamounts managed to load the bases, but could not bolster their lead through two.

In the fourth, Harrilchak tripled to right field to open the frame, and trotted home one batter later as third baseman Bennett Davis flied out to the deepest part of the ball park in center for a sacrifice fly to knot the game at one. Two innings later, the Phoenix took its first lead after loading the bases with no outs. Chase Austin bounced into a double play, shortstop to first base, allowing Harrilchak to score the go-ahead run from third.

The advantage for Elon (28-8, 12-2 SoCon) was short-lived, however, as Haynes blasted a homer to left on the first pitch of the seventh inning to again tie the game, this time at two.

Over the final three innings, both squads threatened to score while keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

In the bottom of the ninth, Elon's Chase Austin dribbled an infield single along the first base line, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from catcher Dallas Tarleton. After Neal Pritchard was intentionally walked to set up the double play, pinch-hitter Mike Melillo struck out. On the play, Elon successfully pulled off a double steal, putting the winning run just 90 feet away. The Catamounts issued an intentional walk to Chris Dove to load the bases for Harry Austin, who battled before lining the eighth pitch he saw to right field where Ryan Mathews was waiting, ending the threat.

In Western's half of the 10th, Mitchell Hatley got on after being hit by a pitch with Liles lining a ball to right-center that Dove nearly ran down, but the ball fell in for a single. Hatley went to third and Liles moved to second on the throw. Sophomore Brent Greer walked to load the bases with one out for Murphy. Phoenix closer Thomas Girdwood got Murphy to pop out to short for out number two, with the next batter, de Graaf, driving Harrilchak to the wall in right, but the ball stayed in the yard for the final out of the half inning.

Harrilchak led off the bottom of the 10th with an infield single, his fourth hit of the night. Donny Jobe put down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance Harrilchak to second. After a pitching change, Mike Lobacz drew a walk to bring Chase Austin to the dish. Chase Austin lined a single to left, loading the bags for Tarleton who struck out for out number two, leaving the game in the hands of Pritchard. Masters recorded his second strikeout of the frame as Elon stranded the bases loaded for the second time in as many innings.

Western was retired in order with three strikeouts in the top of the 11th, setting up the wild finish with Dove plating the winning run. Phoenix starter, Daniel Britt matched Tavernier with seven innings pitched, surrendering two earned runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Reliever Jimmy Reyes worked 2.1 innings with freshman closer Thomas Girdwood (2-0) finishing the final 1.2 innings with a walk and three strikeouts to garner the win.

The two teams will wrap-up the three-game, SoCon series on Sunday afternoon with a 1:30 pm first pitch at Latham Park. The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard locally on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 or online at www.WWCUFM.com.