May 9, 2009

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - After falling behind 10-0 through the first three frames, Western Carolina rallied to knot the game in the eighth inning and eventually forced extra innings. However, a Pat Irvine two-run home run in the top of the 11th inning lifted Elon to the 13-11 victory on Friday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium, clinching the 2009 Southern Conference regular season title in the process.

The extra inning affair was the second-straight for the Phoenix on a Friday night after last week's wild, 18-inning home victory over Wofford. The win was also Elon's first in Cullowhee (1-6) since joining the SoCon in 2004. WCU dropped to 3-2 in extra inning games this season while seeing its season-high, six-game winning streak come to an end.

Game two of the three-game SoCon series is set for 6:00 pm on Saturday afternoon in Cullowhee.

Matt Johns drove in one of his three runs on the day with a sacrifice fly in the home half of the eighth, while Brent Greer scampered home on a second wild pitch in the inning as Western rallied to tie the game at 11.

Western (30-18, 16-8 SoCon) also had its chances in the closing innings. The Catamounts sat Elon down in order in both the top of the ninth and tenth with chances in the bottom of each frames. In the ninth, Dylan de Graaf, who pinch ran in the seventh, opened the inning with a single through the left side before stealing second to move into scoring position. However, consecutive strikeouts ended the threat with de Graaf stranded at second.

In the home portion of the tenth, Heffley singled sharply up the middle ahead of Johns two-out single that put two on with two gone. A passed ball allowed the two runners to move to second and third before a third strikeout ended the inning with runners in scoring position.

After the two-out, two-run home run put the Phoenix ahead, WCU again threatened in the bottom of the 11th. Dylan de Graaf drew a five-pitch walk before Mitchell Hatley chopped one through the right side moving de Graaf to third for runners on the corners with no outs. Hatley swiped second to put runners at second and third for a second-consecutive inning before a pop-up to short and a ground out to third ended the game.

SoCon Freshman of the Year candidate Ross Heffley led the Catamounts with a 3-for-4 outing with two doubles and three RBI, including two on a third inning two-bagger that put Western on the scoreboard. Hatley also recorded three hits as six Catamounts posted multiple-hits in the loss, with Johns driving in three on a 2-for-5 afternoon. Trevor Collias, Brent Greer and J.C. Lyons also tallied two hits apiece.

While the WCU offense was coming alive in the middle innings, it was the pitching from relievers Jason Sullivan and Garrett Ozar that enabled the comeback. With all of the momentum in the visitor's dugout, Sullivan tossed three innings of one-hit relief including retiring eight-straight at one point with a pair of strikeouts. Ozar surrendered a solo home run in four innings of work, fanning four in two-hit action.

Daniel Ottone (3-3) suffered the loss, allowing his first runs in his last seven combined appearance on Irvine's two-run shot to straight-away center field. He allowed two hits in an inning of work.

Elon (34-14, 21-4 SoCon) capitalized on seven walks by WCU starter, Chris Masters, to score three runs in the first before a five-run second pushed the advantage to eight. The Phoenix lit the scoreboard for two runs in the third inning to build its 10-run advantage through two and a half innings.

Starter Jimmy Reyes (7-0) was denied his eighth win of the season for the Phoenix after WCU tied the game in the eighth after five and a third of nine-run, 11-hit action. Reliever John Brebbia (1-0) earned the win after tossing the 10th inning, allowing two hits but keeping Western off the scoreboard. Ken Ferrer picked up his first save of the season by closing the 11th.