May 3, 2008

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina scored in each of the first six innings to overcome a five-run second inning by the Wofford Terriers en route to a 16-8 win Saturday evening in Southern Conference baseball action at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Every Catamount starter reached on a base hit as WCU claimed the slugfest with a combined 21 base hits - including 12 for extra bases.

The win was Western's fourth-in-a-row and the 15th-consecutive over Wofford. It also gave WCU the conference series win, its first in its last three attempts. Game three is set for Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm.

One night after breaking the school record for career hits, senior Barrett Shaft tied his season-high with a 4-for-6 outing at the plate with a double and his fifth home run of the year, with freshman Ryan Mathews matching the Lilburn, Ga., native's four-hit performance. Shaft drove in a game-high four runs. Sophomore Nick Liles and senior Blake Murphy each rapped out three hits apiece, combining for three doubles including two by Liles.

Sophomore Brent Greer recorded two hits - both home runs - with classmate Stephen Notaro posting a pair of singles on the day.

Reliever Chris Masters (6-4) earned his second win in as many days, scattering six hits over the final five innings. He allowed one earned run, working around a walk with six strikeouts. Catamount starter Garrett Ozar gave up seven runs - five earned - in four innings of work in the no-decision while fanning three.

Western (23-24, 9-11 SoCon) lit the scoreboard first in the home half of the opening inning as Greer blasted an 0-2 pitch over the fence in right center to give the Catamounts the early, 1-0, advantage. However, the Terriers answered with a solo homer by catcher Keith Munns in the top of the second as a part of a five-run frame to stake Wofford to a 5-1 edge.

The Catamounts then scored seven unanswered runs through the next three innings to reclaim the lead for good. WCU squeezed out a single run in the bottom of the second as Mathews doubled to right center and was driven home by Liles for his lone RBI of the night to trim the deficit to three, 5-2. In the third, a double to left by sophomore Reid Rollison drove in Shaft to pull Western within two runs. Notaro knotted the game with a two-RBI single down the left field line to plate Rollison and Mathews who singled.

A three-run fourth propelled Western to the lead for good. Greer tallied his second long ball of the game to open frame, pushing the Catamounts ahead, 6-5. After loading the bases, Murphy and junior J.C. Lyons touched home on a two-RBI single by Mathews to hand WCU an 8-5 lead.

Wofford (21-27, 4-16 SoCon) tagged Ozar with a two-run homer in the fifth to trim the Catamount advantage to a run, chasing the Oak Park, Calif., native. But a five-run fifth and a three-run sixth inning gave Western a sizable cushion it would maintain to keep the winning streak alive.

Terrier starter Ben Austin (4-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing nine runs on 12 base hits, giving up three walks with three strikeouts. Wofford had two players post three-hit nights as Munns and right fielder Sterling Dye both finished 3-for-4 and 3-for-6, respectively, with a home run.

The final game of the three-game series is set for 2:00 pm on Saturday afternoon. Fans can follow all of the action online with live GameTracker, presented by Carolina West Sports Medicine and the WestCare Health System, at www.CatamountSports.com.