May 18, 2010

Box Score

Cookeville, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech scored 11 unanswered runs in the final five innings to down Western Carolina, 11-2, on Tuesday evening at Quillen Field.

The Catamounts (31-19-1) led 2-0 after three innings, but Tennessee Tech (26-23) tallied 11 runs in the next five innings en route to the victory.

Junior Matt Johns led the Catamounts with a 2-for-4 performance including a double with a run scored. Johns notched five combined hits against the Golden Eagles during the past two seasons.

Western Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Johns doubled to left field. Tyler Kirkpatrick drove in Johns after reaching on base by a Golden Eagle defensive miscue. Ross Heffley's single to right center field drove in Kirkpatrick to open the Catamounts lead to two runs. Heffley finished the afternoon 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Chad Hayes' launched a two-run homer to left field in the home-half of the fourth to tie the contest at 2-2 for Tennessee Tech. A double by Seth Edwards in the fifth drove in Chad Oberacker to give the Golden Eagles the 3-2 advantage. Edwards added the fourth Golden Eagle run with a Hayes RBI single to left field. In the sixth inning, A.J. Kirby-Jones smacked his 21st roundtripper of the season as TTU took a 5-2 lead.

The Golden Eagles padded their lead in the sixth as Zephan Guyear's triple drove in a pair of runs. Brandon Crossman's sacrifice fly would allow Guyear to add another run as Tennessee Tech opened an 8-2 gap. In the seventh, Kirby-Jones hammered his second homer of the game to right field to make it a seven-run TTU lead. Tennessee Tech added a trifecta of runs in the third in the bottom of the eighth.

Catamount starter Preston Hatcher (1-2) tossed four innings in the loss, giving up three earned runs on five hits. The Atlanta, Ga., native fanned a career-high six batters, surpassing his season total of four combined strikeouts in 11 previous appearances.

Wade Bilbrey (1-0) snagged the victory for the Golden Eagles as he threw four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts.

Jeremy Sluder tossed a third of an inning with a run surrendered on two hits.

Lefty Vance Chavis tossed an inning giving up three runs on two hits. Andrew Chilcoat and Andrew Blackwell also came in relief, giving up two runs in an inning and two-thirds.

Cameron Dullnig closed out the game with an inning pitched, as he surrendered two runs on two this.

The Catamounts return home after a seven-game road trip to close out the regular season. WCU welcomes Davidson for a three-game series that will begin at 6 pm on Thursday. Fans who purchase a ticket to this weekend's contest will receive a gift from the athletic department.