April 30, 2008

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina senior Barrett Shaft moved atop two school career record lists Wednesday night as the Catamounts blanked the visiting Gardner-Webb Bulldogs, 8-0, in non-conference action at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.

Hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance on the night, the Lilburn, Ga., native moved past former teammate, Jonathan Greene, to take over sole possession of first-place in the HBP category having been plunked with 42 pitches during his four-year career. The more momentous record, though, came in the fourth inning with a hard liner back up the middle for career hit No. 311 for Shaft, tying him with Chris Moore (1996-99) for the school-record for base hits in a career.

Shaft will try for career hit No. 312 on Friday night as Western opens a three-game, Southern Conference series against defending tournament champion, the Wofford Terriers, in Cullowhee.

Wednesday night's win for Western book ended the month of April with victories over Gardner-Webb as the Catamounts downed the Bulldogs, 13-6, back on April 1 in Boiling Springs. WCU improved to 21-24 overall, while Gardner-Webb dropped to the same mark at 21-24 with the loss.

Three Catamount pitchers combined for the five-hit shutout - WCU's first since blanking Jacksonville in the NCAA Chapel Hill regional last May - while not allowing a Gardner-Webb runner past second base all evening. Freshman Brandon Johnson (2-1) scattered three base hits and pitched around three hit batsmen with five strikeouts to earn the win. Sophomore left-hander Chris Masters struck out two of the eight batters he faced in 1.2 innings of work, with senior Tyler Sexton working a perfect 1.1 innings to close out the game with one K.

Western Carolina (21-24) jumped on top for good with three unearned runs in the home half of the second inning. With two on and two out, sophomore transfer Stephen Notaro walked to load the bases ahead of classmate Nick Liles. The Laurinburg, N.C., native, who had his 17-game hitting streak snapped, reached on a fielding error by the Bulldog shortstop allowing freshman Ryan Mathews, who singled, and sophomore Dylan de Graaf both to race home for the first two runs of the night. Sophomore Brent Greer capped the inning with an RBI double to left to plate Notaro handing WCU a 3-0 lead.

In the third, senior Blake Murphy reached on one of his three hits on the night, swiped second base and two batters later rumbled home on an RBI single to center by sophomore Tyler Kirkpatrick to stretch the lead to four, 4-0.

The following frame, Notaro, who finished a perfect 2-for-2 with a pair of walks in the win, singled to left center to open a second, three-run rally. Greer rapped out his second double of the game, driving in Notaro ahead of Shaft. On a 2-1 pitch, Shaft lined one to center field for his record-tying hit. Murphy then legged out his team-leading 14th double of the season before junior transfer J.C. Lyons, who made his return to the lineup from a broken hand Tuesday night at Tennessee, laced a two-RBI single to left to plate the senior duo.

WCU concluded its scoring in the fifth as again Notaro was driven in on an RBI base hit by Greer, a single to left, to balloon the lead to 8-0.

Six Catamounts registered multiple-hit games led by Greer and Murphy each with three apiece and both tallying doubles. Lyons, Kirkpatrick, Mathews and Notaro each tallied two base hits in the win.

For the Bulldogs, starter Kyle Paeplow (0-1) was charged with loss after surrendering the three runs in the second inning. Third baseman Justin Loyd tallied three of the five Bulldog base hits on the night, all singles.

Western Carolina will look to continue its current winning streak this Friday as it opens a three-game SoCon set with Wofford in Cullowhee. Last year, the Catamounts swept the eventual tourney champions, pounding out 47 hits including 15 home runs and outscoring the Terriers, 61-16. First pitch Friday evening is set for 7:00 pm, with the series continuing at 6:00 pm on Saturday and 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.