Box Score April 29, 2008
Box Score
Knoxville, Tenn. - Senior Blake Murphy blasted his team-leading 15th home run of the season to stake Western Carolina to a three-run lead it would never relinquish as the Catamounts knocked off the Tennessee Volunteers, 5-2, Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The win snaps Western's three-game seasonal slide as well as its eight-game drought against the Volunteers. WCU (20-24) was also able to upend former head coach, Todd Raleigh, in the first meeting since he took over the Volunteer program after last season.
Junior Drew Saberhagen (4-6) scattered nine base hits while holding Tennessee to two runs - only one of which was earned - in six innings of work to pick up the win. The Calabasas, Calif., native worked around one walk with four strikeouts in his longest outing in his last three starts. His classmate, junior transfer Garrett Ozar, threw the final three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief to earn his first WCU save.
Sophomore Nick Liles only needed one at bat to extend his current hitting streak to 17-straight games. The Laurinburg, N.C., native singled up the middle to lead off the game as a part of Western's opening frame rally. Classmate Brent Greer drew a walk to put two aboard ahead of senior Barrett Shaft, who sacrificed the duo into scoring position. One batter later, Murphy belted one over the fence in left field for a three-run shot and a 3-0 lead.
Shaft finished 2-for-4 on the night with his eighth double of the season to move within one hit of tying the all-time school record. The Lilburn, Ga., native has 310 career base hits and continues to chase former Catamount great Chris Moore (1996-99) with 311 hits.
Tennessee (25-20) answered back in the home half of the second and fifth innings to trim the Catamounts early lead to one, 3-2. Third baseman Danny Lima put the Vols on the board with a two-out solo homer to left in the bottom of the second.
In the fifth, four-consecutive singles, with a pick-off by Murphy sandwiched in between, loaded the bases for UT. The Volunteers squeezed a run across on a failed pick-off attempt at first base to pull within a run. However, heady defensive plays by Liles and Murphy prevented a big inning. Liles fielded the loose ball following the misplay at first and gunned it home to Murphy at the plate. The Waynesville, N.C., native caught right fielder Josh Liles in a rundown, tagging him just before he could retreat to the bag at third. In the process, Murphy made a diving tag on his catching counterpart, Yan Gomes, who was trying to advance to third to end the inning.
WCU's one-run lead stood until the seventh when the Catamounts were able to produce two additional runs to provide the final tally. Freshman Ryan Mathews opened the frame with a double to left, advancing to third on a throwing error by Gomes two batters later. Greer lined an infield single off the third baseman's glove to put two aboard, with Murphy drawing the intentional walk to load the bases. Junior transfer J.C. Lyons, seeing his first action in a month after suffering a broken hand, walked to drive in the fourth run. A wild pitch allowed Greer to scamper home for the 5-2 lead.
In addition to Shaft, sophomore Reid Rollison posted a multiple-hit game with a pair of singles with a 2-for-4 outing while Dylan de Graaf legged out his third double of the season.
Tennessee starter Jeff Lockwood (2-2) suffered the defeat after allowing three earned runs in five innings of work, walking and striking out three. Four Vols posted two-hit games with Cody Brown tripling and Lima hitting a homer for the only two extra base hits among the 10 rapped out on the night.
Western Carolina returns to action on Wednesday as it hosts the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium with first pitch slated for 7:00 pm. Fans can follow all of the action online with live GameTracker, presented by Carolina West Sports Medicine and the WestCare Health System, by logging onto www.CatamountSports.com.
