April 11, 2009

GSU 9, WCU 2 - Game 1 Box Score

WCU 5, GSU 2 - Game 2 Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Corey Martin matched his career-long outing, scattering six base hits and one unearned run through eight innings as Western Carolina split a Saturday Southern Conference double-header with Georgia Southern at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Eagles combined to score seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings of the opener to win 9-2, while the Catamounts backed up Martin's strong outing with home runs by Trevor Collias and Ross Heffley to even the best-of-three series with a 5-2 win in the night cap.

Western Carolina moved to 20-11 overall, 9-4 in league play in splitting the twin bill, while GSU finished the day at 23-9 overall, 8-4 in the SoCon. The win for WCU also snapped a six-game losing skid to GSU dating back to the 2007 season.

Sunday's rubber match is slated for a 2:00 pm first pitch in Cullowhee.

Collias belted a three-run homer to straight-away center field with one out to break open a scoreless deadlock in the second game pitcher's duel in the fifth inning. Mitchell Hatley opened the frame with a single through the right side with pinch hitter Reid Rollison drawing a one-out walk ahead of Collias who took the 2-2 pitch to the deepest part of the ball park.

Two batters later, Heffley blasted an almost identical shot over the center field fence to give WCU a 4-0 lead through five.

Western added a single run in the sixth on an RBI single by Tyler Kirkpatrick to score J.C. Lyons who doubled off the Purple Monster in left to open the frame.

GSU managed to push across single runs in the eighth and ninth to provide the final tally. Griffin Benedict doubled to open the eighth and was moved around to score on an A.J. Wirnsberger ground out to third. In the ninth, a Kevin Bowles single to right plated Brian Pierce who also opened the final frame with a single.

Martin (5-3) worked the first four and a third without allowing an Eagle base hit in the win. He pitched around two walks with five strikeouts in allowing the one unearned run in the eighth before giving way to classmate, Garrett Ozar. The reliever finished off the final inning allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout in the non-save situation.

Eagle starter Jake Brown (2-3) was equally as effective through the opening four and a third, limiting the Catamounts to a pair of singles until the two homers in the fifth. Brown allowed five earned runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts in taking the loss for GSU.

In game one, Benedict's three-RBI double as a part of a five-run sixth inning helped break open a close game as the Eagles took the series opener, 9-2. Leading 2-0, Georgia Southern pushed across its first two runs of the frame playing small ball on the bunt before Benedict cleared the bags with a double to left center.

The Eagles would add a two-spot in the seventh after WCU reliever Matt Benedict loaded the bases with three-consecutive walks. He was lifted for freshman Tyler Brownlow, who issued a fourth free pass to the first batter he faced driving in the eighth run of the contest for GSU. Ty Wright tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly off to end the Eagles scoring in the seventh with a 9-1 lead.

WCU never could find offensive rhythm, or the critical hit at the crucial time. The Catamounts left 14 runners on base in the opening game, including stranding the bases loaded three times - in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Western lit the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homerun to left by Lyons, with its only other run coming on a sacrifice fly by Nick Liles to score Radley Haddad, who registered his first collegiate base hit on a single to left to open the inning.

Masters (3-2) suffered his second loss of the season after allowing five runs - four of which were earned - on seven hits in 5.1 innings pitched. He offered three walks while fanning three. Ozar tossed two-thirds of an inning of one-hit relief allowing two unearned runs, while Matt Benedict allowed two earned runs on three walks facing four batters in a third of an inning. Tyler Brownlow closed the last 2.2 innings of one-hit relief with two free passes and a strikeout.

GSU starter Chris Mederos (7-0) garnered his seventh victory of the season, also lasting 5.1 innings while holding the Catamounts to one earned run on four hits. He countered four walks with five strikeouts. Relievers Charles Matthews and Michael Hester tossed the final three and two-thirds of one-run, three-hit relief with four K's.

Collias led the Catamounts at the plate in the twin bill with a 3-for-5 showing including the three-run homer which accounted for his team-high in RBI. Hatley continued his strong week with a 3-for-6 performance with three singles and a pair of walks. The duo also combined for three of the four hit batsmen offered by GSU pitching and a six of the 10 Catamount stolen bases.

Lyons and Heffley each homered on the day with the long ball accounting for one of Lyons' three hits in a 3-for-9 showing between the two games and was Heffley's only base knock.

For the Eagles, Benedict finished 4-for-7 with a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch once, adding a team-best four RBI. Wirnsberger and Pierce each finished 3-for-8 with a trio of singles.