May 15, 2009

Box Score

Davidson, N.C. - Davidson College twice staved off elimination with home inning rallies on Thursday night including a five-run comeback in the home half of the ninth inning before Western Carolina was able to pull out a two-run, 10-8, victory in the 12th inning in Southern Conference action at Wilson Field. Ross Heffley's RBI single in the top of the 12th drove in Rembert Rollison, with Brent Greer driving in classmate Nick Liles for an insurance run as the Catamounts outlasted the Wildcats for the victory.

Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Friday evening at Wilson Field. The game will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard locally on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee and online at www.WWCUFM.com.

Western improved to 32-20 overall and 17-10 in the SoCon with its seventh-straight road victory. The Catamounts also gained a position in the standings after The Citadel's 14-3 victory over the College of Charleston, moving to fourth percentage points ahead of the Cougars who fell to 17-11 overall. Davidson dropped to 18-27 overall, 11-14 in league play.

Chris Masters was brilliant for Western in the starting role, scattering four base hits and one unearned run through seven innings in the no-decision. He limited Davidson to one hit through the first five innings and countered one walk with 10 strikeouts before giving way to Garrett Ozar in the eighth for an inning of hitless, scoreless relief with a walk and two strikeouts. However, in the ninth, reliever Brandon Johnson surrendered three earned runs on one hit with a pair of walks and closer Daniel Ottone gave up four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

Mike Tavernier (6-5), who is scheduled to start Saturday's regular-season finale against the Wildcats, tossed the final two innings of hitless, scoreless relief to earn the victory. The Clearwater, Fla., native allowed one base runner on a walk while striking out two, including fanning Matt Webb looking to end the game.

WCU took a 6-1 lead into the ninth inning before the Wildcats began their rally. Chase Fitzpatrick belted a two-run home run to ignite a five-run rally that erased the Catamount advantage and knotted the game at six, forcing extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, consecutive singles by Mitchell Hatley and Dylan de Graaf put two aboard with pinch hitter Rembert Rollison hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Liles then singled up the middle to drive in two as Hatley and de Graaf came in to score.

Davidson answered in the home half of the frame with a two-out, two-run home run by James Cerbie that again knotted the game and forcing the 11th. Cerbie's shot came after consecutive Wildcat strikeouts.

After a scoreless 11th, Rollison opened the 12th by lifting an 0-2 pitch into left, with Liles reaching on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt to move runners to the corners with no outs. Heffley then singled home Rollison with a drive to left and two batters later, Greer singling in the hole at short to score Liles for the 10-8 edge.

Tavernier then faced four batters, pitching around a two-out walk with a pair of strikeouts to end the game.

Dylan de Graaf finished with a team-best 4-for-6 performance in the win, while Liles was 3-for-5 with a double and a sacrifice hit as WCU stranded 16 base runners on the night. Matt Johns drove in three as a part of a 2-for-6 performance in the win.