March 21, 2009

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Chris Masters struck out a career-best 11 batters to outduel Bulldog starter Asher Wojciechowski as Western Carolina evened the best-of-three series with The Citadel at one win apiece with a 3-1 victory in front of 447 Saturday evening at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Masters (3-1) scattered six base hits with just one walk in a career-high nine innings, limiting the Bulldogs to one earned run to pick up his second-straight victory in as many starts. Wojciechowski (1-1) fanned eight in six innings of work, allowing all three runs on six hits and four walks for The Citadel.

The rubber match of the three-game set is scheduled for Sunday afternoon with WCU senior Corey Martin (4-1) to face Bulldog senior Matt Crim (1-1). First pitch is set for 2:00 pm.

Six Catamounts combined for WCU's seven hits on Saturday with junior Stephen Notaro posting the lone multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate with a pair of singles and an RBI. Junior Brent Greer also drove in a run with a single in four plate attempts, with freshman Ross Heffley finishing 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt.

Western Carolina (14-5, 5-3 SoCon) finished with seven singles in the game and scored all three of its runs with two outs in the respective frame. The Catamounts pushed across solo runs in the second, third and fifth, while The Citadel plated one run in the top of the third to cap its scoring.

Notaro drew a one-out walk in four-straight pitches and was moved to second on a bunt single to third by junior Tyler Kirkpatrick in the home half of the second inning. A Bulldog throwing error by Wojciechowski on a bunt attempt by sophomore Matt Johns allowed Notaro to score from second to give WCU the early, 1-0 lead.

An inning later, though, The Citadel (9-8, 5-3 SoCon) answered as Bryan Altman lifted a one-out single to left, stole second and was driven home on another single to left by Sonny Meade to knot the game at one-apiece. However, the first of two Catamount double plays ended the Bulldog threat.

In the third, Western scored what would prove to be the game-winner as junior Nick Liles led off with a single then stole both second and third ahead of Greer, who laced a two-out single to right center to put the Catamounts ahead, 2-1.

WCU added an insurance run in the fifth as Reid Rollison drew a one-out, pinch hit walk and was driven in by Notaro on a two-out single to right center .

The Citadel's final threat came in the eighth as with one out, Nick Orvin singled just past Masters coming off the mound, with a second runner reaching on the lone Catamount error of the game on a second base coverage miscue along the middle infield. However, on the very next pitch, Masters induced Meade into a 6-4-3 double-play to end the threat.

Masters retired the Bulldogs in order in the ninth, striking out David Greene on four pitches to end the game.

For the Bulldogs, Altman finished 2-for-4 with a double, while Chris McGuiness also doubled for his lone base hit of the game.

The two teams combined to leave 13 on base with WCU stranding eight and the Cadets leaving five. The Catamounts also turned a pair of double plays in helping Masters earn the win.