May 4, 2008

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Senior Barrett Shaft went 4-for-5, finishing a triple shy from hitting for the cycle as Western Carolina completed the Southern Conference series sweep of the Wofford Terriers with a 9-5 victory on Sunday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts scored in four-consecutive innings, adding single runs off solo home runs in the seventh and eighth to earn the victory.

Western (24-24, 10-11 SoCon) finished the week with a five-game winning streak while tallying its 16th-straight over the Terriers. Wofford falls to 21-28 overall, 4-17 in league play.

Shaft led three Catamounts with multiple hit games, legging out his 10th double of the season and blasting his second home run in as many days with a solo-shot to straight-away center field in the eighth inning. The Lilburn, Ga., native finished with a game-high three RBI. Freshman Ryan Mathews continued his solid performance at the plate with a 2-for-3, two RBI outing with both hits going for extra bases in a double and his fifth homer of the season. Also adding two hits - including a home run - with two RBI was sophomore Dylan de Graaf.

Junior Corey Martin (2-1) earned the win in the starting role, scattering four earned runs and eight base hits through 6.1 innings with a walk and a strikeout. Senior left-hander Tyler Sexton earned his fourth save of the year by throwing the final 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, working around one hit, a walk and a hit batsman with a strikeout.

After falling behind, 1-0, in the top of the first, Western Carolina rallied with seven unanswered runs in the second through the fifth innings. Mathews tied the game with a solo home run to right in the home half of the second inning. Shaft handed the Catamounts the lead with a two-RBI single in the third, plating de Graaf and sophomore Brent Greer who reached on a double down the left field line.

In the fourth, WCU stretched its lead to four runs as de Graaf laced an RBI single through the right side to score Mathews who walked, with sophomore Nick Liles singling to left to drive in classmate Tyler Kirkpatrick. Sophomore Reid Rollison's ground out in the fifth allowed the sixth run to touch home, with a Mathews double to left center handed WCU its largest lead of the day, 7-1.

Wofford rallied in the seventh as third baseman Shane Kirkley opened the frame with a solo home run to right center. Three batters later, first baseman Mo Seay belted a two-run homer to left center to trim the Catamount advantage to three, 7-4. After walking the first batter he faced, though, Sexton was able to pick-off Josh McKinney between second and third, then inducing a ground ball to end the threat without further damage.

Western added solo home runs off the bats of de Graaf and Shaft in the seventh and eighth to stretch the lead back to five where it would finish, 9-4.

Terrier starter Tom Dolinak (2-2) took the loss after only lasting 3.1 innings. He surrendered five earned runs on seven hits with four walks and one strikeout. Wofford had four players post multiple hit games as Kirkley, Seay and Sterling Dye were 2-for-4, with catcher Keith Munns going 2-for-3, reaching once on a HBP.

The Catamounts will break for final exams this coming week before returning to action next Friday at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. The three-game set will be played at Riley Park, the site of this year's SoCon baseball tournament.