Feb. 21, 2010

Box Score

Forest City, N.C. - The Western Carolina baseball team completed the season-opening series sweep of the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon with a 6-3 victory at McNair Field.

The Catamounts jumped out to a 4-0 lead after collecting four doubles, a walk and capitalizing on a Gardner-Webb fielding miscue. WCU (3-0) recorded their second consecutive season-opening sweep after defeating Bowling Green in three games in 2009. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 0-3.

In total, WCU scored six runs on 12 hits, while Gardner-Webb tallied three runs on nine hits with three fielding errors.

Southpaw Vance Chavis (1-0) notched the win for the Catamounts after tossing six complete innings. The Laurinburg, N.C, native gave up just one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts in his first start of the season.

"Vance came out and had a great afternoon," noted Catamounts coach Bobby Moranda. "He showed outstanding control and took over the game."

Freshman Tyler White continued his hot streak with another three-hit performance in front of his hometown crowd. White, who graduated from Chase High School, went 3-for-5, while recording his first career home run and picking up a double and three RBI.

Freshman Cory Cronan also recorded his first multi-hit game as a Catamount as he hit a pair of doubles, scored and drove in a run. Cronan, a native of Grayson, Ga., hit 3-for-5 in the game.

"We needed these younger guys to step up," said Moranda. "They had a good preseason and have the confidence to play at this level."

Senior's Dylan de Graaf and Tyler Kirkpatrick also recorded two hits in Sunday's contest. de Graaf recorded his second multi-hit contest of the year after tallying a double and adding a RBI in the top of the second. Kirkpatrick notched his third multi-hit contest by collecting a pair of singles against the Bulldogs.

Sophomore Tyler Brownlow came in relief for reliever Taylor Sandefur with a bases-loaded jam and forced Gardner-Webb's Benji Jackson to fly out. Brownlow and Sandefur each threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing a run each.

Junior reliever Andrew Chilcoat earned his first save of the season with a scoreless final inning and a third.

The Catamounts pounced early on the Bulldogs as de Graaf led off the contest with a double. Austin Schultz would walk before Ross Heffley would load the bases after reaching on base due to a fielding error. White doubled to left field driving in de Graaf. Cronan and Matt Johns would both hit consecutive doubles to drive in two more runs.

WCU added a two more runs in the second and fifth innings. Gardner-Webb made it interesting in the latter innings adding a trio of runs. In the bottom of the eighth inning, GWU cut the lead to 6-3 after Kurt Fulginiti doubled to left field to drive in Daniel Merck. Chilcoat closed the door for the Catamounts, retiring all four batters faced.

Western Carolina will play at Atlantic-10 foe Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Live audio will be available via the Catamount Sports Network for Tuesday's contest with the 49ers.