March 11, 2011

Box Score

Greensboro, N.C. - Western Carolina received a lift from its bench, rallying for four runs in the final two frames but the Catamounts could not overcome an early deficit and a solid starting pitching effort by UNC Greensboro's Warren Slack. Freshmen Dykota Spiess and Adam Martin both homered in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, as WCU dropped its Southern Conference opener at UNC Greensboro, 5-4, Friday night.

Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm at UNCG Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with a 12:45 pm air time and can be heard online at www.CatamountSports.com.

Slack (3-0) scattered seven base hits through eight and a third innings to score the victory for the Spartans, retiring 13-straight Catamounts between the fourth and eighth innings. The starter struck out eight without a walk with two of the runs he was tagged with coming home on the home run issued by reliever Zach Furl. Spartan reliever Jonathan Jones secured his first save of the season, tossing the final third of an inning.

Spiess, a late inning replacement at first base, belted a 2-1 pitch down the right field line for his first collegiate home run, ending WCU's scoreless drought in the eighth inning. A native of Morganton, N.C., Spiess has three hits in his last nine at bats including two for extra bases. Likewise, Martin entered the game as a pinch hitter in the latter innings before delivering a three-run homer in the ninth inning as the Catamounts mounted a rally.

Senior Matt Johns singled to left center ahead of another substitution, freshman Luke Gragg, who doubled down the right field line to put to aboard with one out. Martin then blasted a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center to close the deficit to one, 5-4. However, a fly ball out to right and a pop-up to the left side of the infield ended the game for the Spartans, who won their third in the last four meetings with WCU.

Johns and junior Ross Heffley both finished 2-for-4 in the loss while Gragg and Martin were 1-for-2.

Catamount senior Matt Benedict (0-1) was saddled with the loss in just his second start of the season, surrendering five runs on eight hits through five and a third innings. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native issued four walks around a pair of strikeouts. Relievers Kyle Stewart and Darron Dotson combined to toss the final two and two-thirds with Stewart striking out three and Dotson fanning two.

UNCG's Trevor Edwards drove in three runs in a 2-for-5 performance, plating a pair of runs with a single in the first inning as the Spartans took the 2-0 lead after one inning. He added a single run in the third on a solo home run to right field as UNCG stretched its lead to three through three innings.

In the fifth, third baseman Thomas Troelstrup singled home Bobby Martin, who led off the inning by drawing one of his three walks on the day. UNCG capped its scoring in the sixth as Chris Barker singled home Cole Harrison, staking the Spartans to a 5-0 lead before WCU rallied.

Game two is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm.