May 2, 2009

Box Score

Greensboro, N.C. - Western Carolina used a four-run top of the fourth inning to erase an early deficit before pulling away with a pair of ninth inning home runs, downing UNC Greensboro, 9-4, on Saturday afternoon to take the best-of-three Southern Conference series.

Western Carolina (29-17, 15-7 SoCon) won its fifth-straight, which matches a season-long, while also taking its seventh victory in its last eight games. WCU also tied the number of victories it had a season ago at 29. The Catamounts also retained a percentage points lead over Georgia Southern in the overall conference standings at .682 as the Eagles split a Saturday double-header with Furman to move to 14-7 (.667).

Garrett Ozar (3-4) was efficient in his three and two-thirds innings for the Catamounts, retiring 10-straight at one point in scoreless, one-hit relief, only needing 38 pitches to earn the victory. The Oak Park, Calif., native also fanned one in earning the victory in relief of starter Corey Martin who threw the opening four and a third allowing four runs on eight hits. Freshman Andrew Blackwell tossed a perfect ninth out of the pen to help secure the victory.

Trevor Collias finished a perfect 3-for-3 on the day with the first of two ninth-inning home runs on a solo shot to left. He also swiped his SoCon-leading 28th stolen base in the win giving WCU 100 on the season. Nick Liles and Ross Heffley each finished 2-for-4 with a combined six runs driven in including four by Heffley, two of which came on the second ninth inning round-tripper.

UNC Greensboro (16-25, 4-17 SoCon) took an early 2-0 lead after plating solo runs in each of the first two innings. Timely fielding by WCU forced the Spartans to strand three during the same time frame, though, in keeping it a close ball game.

Matt Johns trimmed the deficit to a solo run after opening with a double off the fence in straight-away center field and later scoring on a sacrifice fly by Collias to pull WCU within one, 2-1.

The Spartans manufactured a single run in the home half of the fourth to stretch their advantage back to a pair, 3-1, before Western erupted for a four-spot in the top of the fifth inning to claim a lead it would never relinquish. J.C. Lyons opened the frame with double to the gap in right center field before a pair of one-out walks by Rembert Rollison and Mitchell Hatley loaded the bases. Collias was then hit by a pitch to drive in a run with Liles flirting with a grand slam on a long, sacrifice fly out to left to plate the game-tying run.

Still with two aboard in the frame, Ross Heffley doubled down the right field line to clear the bases, but was caught trying to stretch it into a triple to end the inning with WCU ahead, 5-3.

UNCG added a single run in the bottom of the fifth to close within a run, but an RBI single by Liles to score Hatley and the two long balls by WCU in the ninth provided the final tally.

Greg Martin (1-7) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on just four hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts in five innings of work. Warren Slack, who entered the day atop the SoCon in terms of individual ERA, allowed four earned runs on five hits including the pair of ninth-inning homers in tossing the final four for the Spartans.

All but one of UNCG's starters recorded a hit on Saturday, with Brent O'Berry posting the lone multi-hit game with Corey Overholtzer legging out the only extra base hit with a double.

The final game of the three-game set is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Sunday afternoon at UNCG's Baseball Stadium and will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network. Fans can follow all of the action locally in Cullowhee on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5, or online at www.WWCUFM.com.