May 21, 2008

Box Score | SoConPhots.com Slideshow

SoCon Baseball Tournament Central

Charleston, S.C. - Junior J.C. Lyons gave seventh-seeded Western Carolina a short-lived, 4-3, lead with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning. However, the second-seeded College of Charleston Cougars answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to reclaim the lead for good, upending the Catamounts, 5-4, in the first round match-up of the 2008 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament at Joe Riley Park.

Western Carolina will face No. 6 Appalachian State -- which blew a three-run, 8-5, lead in the bottom of the tenth inning with a walk-off grand slam to lose, 10-5, to the third-seeded Furman Paladins Thursday afternoon -- at 10:00 am in an elimination game. The Mountaineers took 2-of-3 from the Catamounts in Boone this season.

"That was a great college baseball game," said WCU first-year head coach Bobby Moranda during a post-game interview. "We just did not hit the ball very well today. Anytime you can hold the College of Charleston to five runs you got to believe you have a chance. We need a quality start tomorrow even though most of our bullpen will have a day of rest."

Trailing 3-0 through four innings after the Cougars belted two solo home runs and manufactured a run, Western Carolina (29-27) exploded for four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman Matt Johns, who finished with a career-best four hits on Tuesday, opened the inning with a single through the left side. Junior Mitchell Hatley sacrificed Johns to second with sophomore Nick Liles reaching on an error to put runners at the corners with one out.

Liles then stole second base with the throw going all the way down allowing Johns to make the heads up play to scamper home to trim the deficit to two, 3-1. Three batters later, after sophomore catcher Stephen Notaro walked, Lyons blasted a three-run homer to left center to plate three and give WCU the 4-3 advantage.

However, the lead did not last long as SoCon Player of the Year, Jeremie Tice, drilled the third pitch he saw in the bottom of the fifth over the right centerfield fence for his second solo homer of the game to knot the game at four. Joey Bergman then doubled to center as a part of his 3-for-3 day, scoring two batters later on an RBI single to center by shortstop Mike Hentz for the go-ahead run.

Charleston starter Jesse Simpson (9-2) earned his ninth win of the season working his second complete game of the year. He worked all nine innings, allowing four unearned runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. After allowing the three-run homer to Lyons, Simpson retired the next 13 Catamount batters in order without allowing a base runner to pickup the win.

WCU junior Mike Tavernier (4-5), who was named second team All-SoCon by the voting media on Tuesday, was saddled with the loss after working 6.2 innings in the starting role, fanning three and walking a pair. Sophomore Daniel Ottone tossed the final 1.1 inning of one-hit, scoreless relief with a strikeout.

Five different Catamounts posted base hits in the loss with Lyons providing the three RBI on his 13th home run of the season. Liles, Kirkpatrick and Johns also recorded single base hits with Shaft tallying his 15th double of the season.

Thursday's 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.