May 29, 2010

Box Score

Charleston, S.C. - Appalachian State's Chris Trippy lifted a RBI walk-off double to left center field, plating Jack Myers from second base to score the game-winning run as the seventh-seeded Mountaineers staved off elimination, downing No. 6 Western Carolina, 3-2, Saturday morning at Riley Park in the semifinals of the 2010 Southern Conference Baseball Championship.

WCU and ASU will meet in an elimination game this evening at 5:00 pm at Riley Park with the winner advancing to the Southern Conference Championship final on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm. Coverage of Saturday night's rematch between the Catamounts and Mountaineers on the Catamount Sports Network will begin at 4:45 pm online at CatamountSports.com.

Myers opened the home half of the ninth inning with a bunt single down the third base line before being sacrificed to second by Chris Alessandria. Pinch hitting, Trippy pushed a 0-1 pitch to left center to drive in the winning run forcing the second semifinal matchup for Saturday night.

Freshman starter Taylor Sand fur factored in a no-decision after tossing a career-long seven and a third innings, scattering six hits while allowing two earned runs with two walks against one strikeout. Reliever Jason Sullivan (4-3) suffered the loss after taking over in the eighth, punching out one before allowing both of his two hits in the decisive ninth.

Western Carolina (36-20-1) took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on a pair of hits and the lone ASU miscue of the contest. With one out, Ollie Boulder was plunked by a pitch with Tyler White lifting a two-out single through the left side to move Boulder to third. A fielding error at short allowed Dylan de Graf to reach and the game's first run to score, with Austin Schultz handing the Catamounts the two-run advantage on an RBI single up the middle.

White finished 3-for-4 in the loss, recording half of the Catamounts' six hits. Schultz, de Graf and Ross Hefley each tallied one base hit for WCU.

The Mountaineers answered with single runs in the third and fifth to knot the game at two. Hector Cresco was hit by a pitch with two outs in the third, moving around as an intentional walk and a second HBP loaded the bases before a wild pitch gave ASU its first run. Cresco was again involved in the run in the fifth, doubling down the left field line before an infield single and subsequent throwing error to Wes Hobson tied the game.

Both teams went quietly from the sixth through eighth innings, each leaving one runner aboard apiece as the squads both stranded seven runners on the day.

In the ninth, WCU got a two-out single to left by de Graf with top of the order Schultz at the plate. However, he was picked off first to end the inning, setting up the Mountaineers' walk-off victory.

Reliever Chris Patterson (4-3) scored the victory for the Mountaineers after tossing the top of the ninth inning, limiting the Catamounts to de Graf's single. He relieved Taylor Miller, who struck out one in a hitless, scoreless inning of work, while starter Nathan Hyatt tossed seven solid innings, fanning nine with just two walks and holding WCU to two unearned runs on just five hits.

The winner of Saturday evening's game between WCU and ASU will face the winner between top-seeded The Citadel and fourth-seeded Leon on Sunday afternoon.