April 16, 2011

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina fell behind 5-0 through the first two innings including allowing a four-spot in the top of the first inning before rallying to within a run on Saturday afternoon. However, the rally fell short as Georgia Southern held on for the 8-7 victory in Southern Conference action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

The series rubber match is scheduled for 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. Fans can follow all of the action online with live GameTracker, or through the Georgia Southern radio broadcast with play-by-play announcer, Ryan Chambers, with a 1:30 pm air time.

Georgia Southern (21-15, 10-4 SoCon) sent 10 batters to the plate in the opening frame to score four runs including a three-run homer by Victor Roache to take the early lead. Roache tied the NCAA lead entering the day with his 17th round-tripper of the season - and his second of the series - in a 1-for-3 showing. The Eagles led 5-0 before WCU pushed across its first run in the third inning Tyler White drove home Matt Johns with a single up the middle for a 5-1 margin.

GSU took the run back half an inning later with a sacrifice fly by Roache for his fourth RBI of the game.

Freshman Aaron Attaway circled the bases in the bottom of the fourth to give WCU its second run. The Morganton, N.C., native doubled to deep right center field where GSU's Shawn Payne circled behind the ball for the relay back to the infield. However, the rainy conditions that bumped the start of the game back an hour caused the ball to slip from Payne's hand on the throw which squirted into centerfield. The throwing error allowed Attaway to circle second and round third for home, scoring on the play to cut the deficit back to 6-2.

A Michael Burruss RBI triple in the sixth followed by an RBI ground out plated a pair of runs for the Eagles in the top of the sixth before WCU answered in the home portion of the frame. Austin Schultz drove in two on a two out RBI double down the left field line to get the runs back, 8-4.

In the seventh, a single and an error put two aboard for White, who welcomed reliever Matt Murray to the game with a RBI single through the right side to cut the GSU lead to three, 8-5. Following a perfectly executed double steal, Stephen Notaro drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it a two-run game, 8-6. White was then able to rumble home on a wild pitch that darted back to the backstop to make it a one-run game, 8-7.

However, Murray was able to strike out Attaway in the seventh to end the rally at three runs. Then, in the eighth, Schultz drew a leadoff walk - one of three on the afternoon - and then stole second to put the tying run two bases away. After a slash ground out by Cameron Dullnig, the Eagles intentionally walked Ross Heffley, who saw his 15-game hitting streak ended after a 0-for-3 performance, to put two aboard. Murray then recorded a strikeout and a ground out up the middle to end the threat before fanning two in the ninth to secure the three-inning save.

Heffley was 0-for-3 with a pair walks and a strikeout while Schultz matched White's two RBI.

WCU starter Jordan Smith (4-4) was touched up for eight runs on 10 hits through five innings in the start, allowing five runs through the first two frames before settling down into a rhythm. The freshman struck out five with two walks in taking the loss.

Western Carolina threw four combined pitchers including three out of the bullpen with the relievers limiting Georgia Southern to one run over the final four frames to enable the comeback. Preston Hatcher struck out four against one walk with one hit in three and two thirds out of the pen for WCU.

Georgia Southern's Andy Moye (4-1) was credited with the victory, striking out four against four walks while holding WCU to two runs - one earned - on three hits. Joe Lower tossed two and two thirds with a walk and a strikeout while Murray struck out four in three innings.

Four Eagles recorded multi-hit games as GSU outhit the Catamounts, 11-to-8. Both squads stranded 10 runners on the afternoon.