March 27, 2011

Box Score

Davidson, N.C. - Western Carolina split the two games of Sunday's Southern Conference twin bill at Wilson Field, downing Davidson 7-1 in the first game to take the series before falling in 10 innings in the night cap, 3-0.

Freshman Jordan Smith (3-2) scattered four base hits through eight innings, allowing just one run as the Catamounts won the opening game of the double-header, 7-1, giving WCU the series victory. The Liberty, N.C., native struck out a career-high nine and allowed just two base runners past second base on the afternoon. With one aboard in the third, he induced a inning-ending 4-6-3 double-play to start a string of retiring 10-straight Wildcat batters in a row.

WCU (10-11-1, 2-7 SoCon) took a lead it would never relinquish in the first game as freshman Adam Martin belted the first of two, two-run doubles in the game to score both Matt Johns and Ross Heffley as the Catamounts broke the scoreless affair in the top of the fifth inning. Johns walked to open the frame before heads-up base running put him on third after a single to right by Heffley. Martin then stroked a 0-1 pitch to center field to plate the two runs.

In the sixth, freshman Julian Ridings singled to center to open the frame before being sacrificed to second by classmate, Macon Smith. Ridings promptly stole third and then was driven home on an RBI single by a third rookie, Aaron Attaway.

Leading 3-1, the Catamounts managed a four-spot in the top of the ninth inning to break the game open. Attaway singled to open the frame before taking advantage of a failed pick-off attempt and a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a wild pitch. Dykota Spiess doubled down the right field line with Heffley walking ahead of Martin who laced his second two-RBI double of the day. Sophomore Tyler White capped the scoring with an RBI double, providing the final tally, 7-1.

Sophomore T.J. Page struck out two in keeping the Wildcats off the board in the ninth inning out of the bullpen.

Davidson's Ian Horkley (2-3) was chased after five innings, allowing just two earned runs on the Martin double with seven strikeouts against one walk. Reliever Mike Frongello tossed three and a third before being pulled in the ninth, allowing three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts out of the bullpen.

In game two, Davidson's Kelly Myers hit a three-run home run that just stayed fair, skirting the outside of the right field fence in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Wildcats to the 3-0 win, snapping WCU's 15-game winning streak in the head-to-head series.

The two teams battled to scoreless deadlock through the top of the 10th inning. WCU stranded eight base runners in the second game while the Wildcats left 13 on base including two in six of the 10 innings.

Brandon Johnson (3-3) was the tough luck loser after issuing a lead-off single up the middle to Andrew Barna before erasing him on a fielder's choice to Calvin Sigelbaum. However, responsibility was transferred to Sigelbaum with reliever Taylor Sandefur issuing a walk to James Cerbie before the home run to Myers. Johnson struck out four of the nine batters he faced, issuing two walks with one run allowed.

Kyle Stewart earned the start for WCU, tossing the first four innings of scoreless baseball, allowing three hits with five strikeouts against three walks. Andrew Chilcoat threw a season-long three frames, likewise limiting the Wildcats to three hits, fanning four with a walk.

Davidson reliever Andy Bass (2-0) picked up the win in relief of Ryan Overcash who struck out seven, tossing the final three and two-thirds innings of scoreless, two-hit relief with four strikeouts.

Spiess, Schultz and Attaway led the Catamounts with three hits apiece in the twin bill. Spiess finished 3-for-4 in the two games, delivering a pinch hit double in the first game before going 2-for-3 in game two. His classmate Macon Smith also singled in game one for his first collegiate base hit, while Martin paced the squad with four RBI.

Western Carolina hosts High Point in mid-week non-conference action on Tuesday night at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium before traveling to Charleston, S.C., to face the College of Charleston Cougars in league play next weekend.