May 14, 2011

Box Score

Greenville, S.C. - Furman's Will Muzika bounced a bases loaded single through the left side to cap a three-run ninth inning rally for the Paladins to score a 9-8 walk-off victory over Western Carolina in Southern Conference action Saturday evening at Latham Stadium.

The win ties the series at one win apiece for both squads with the rubber match scheduled for a 1 pm on Sunday afternoon. Catamount Sports Network coverage begins at 12:45 pm and can be heard online at www.CatamountSports.com.

Two walks including an intentional free pass to load the bases coupled with four hits by the Paladins erased the two-run lead the Catamounts held entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Will Owens drew a lead-off walk and scored on a RBI single by Aaron Thompkins to close the deficit to one, 8-7. Furman plated the game-tying run on a double to left center by Reese Wade with Paul Nitto walked intentionally to load the bases.

With an extra infielder brought in from the outfield, Muzika pushed a 0-2 pitch to the left side past an outstretched Austin Schultz to score the game-winning marker.

WCU senior Brandon Johnson (4-4) was tagged with the loss, making his fifth appearance in the last seven days. The Morehead City, N.C., native surrendered three runs on four hits without recording an out with one intentional walk. Paladin reliever Robert Landers (1-0) picked up the victory for the Paladins, allowing a hit and a walk in one inning of work out of the bullpen.

Furman (21-29, 11-14 SoCon) capitalized on consecutive walks to lead-off the second inning in taking the early lead on Saturday. Will Miller plated Nitto on a double down the right field line with Alex Abrams plating a second Paladin run on a sacrifice fly to left. Will Owens capped the second inning scoring with a RBI single to center for a 3-0 lead through two innings.

The Catamounts answered an inning later. Freshman Aaron Attaway singled to centerfield with classmate Dykota Spiess hit by a pitch to put the first two aboard. Following a double-steal to move runners to second and third, senior Austin Schultz singled to right center to plate Attaway with a second HBP of Luke Gragg loading the bases. WCU was able to plate one additional run on a sacrifice fly to left field by Matt Johns to close the deficit to one, 3-2, but stranded a pair of runners on base.

In the sixth, Western Carolina (19-28-1, 9-17 SoCon) took its first lead of the afternoon as sophomore Bryant Noteboom delivered a two-out, two-RBI double down the left field line to score both Tyler White and Stephen Notaro who opened with consecutive singles.

An inning later, three consecutive singles by Gragg, Ross Heffley and Johns resulted in two aboard ahead of White delivered a two RBI single to left to stretch the Catamount advantage to three, 6-3.

However, in the bottom of the seventh, Furman again rallied to knot the game at six apiece with three runs on three hits and taking advantage of one WCU error. Owens drove in Abrams on a single up the middle with Wade doubling to right center to score the tying runs.

Knotted at six, Western Carolina scratched out two runs in the eighth and ninth to carry an 8-6 lead into the ninth. Cameron Dullnig opened the eighth with a double to right center and was driven home on a first pitch single up the middle by freshman Macon Smith. In White lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Gragg for the two-run cushion, setting up Furman's game-winning ninth.

Gragg, Heffley and White all three finished with two hits to lead the Catamounts with White driving in three in the losing effort, while the top four in the Paladin order tallied two hits apiece to tally eight of Furman's 11 hits on the day.

Both starting pitchers factored in no-decisions on the day, recording six innings apiece. WCU freshman Jordan Smith settled after allowing three runs in the second to retire nine-straight at one point, finishing with three strikeouts against three walks. Daniel Stallsmith for the Paladins surrendered four runs on six hits with two walks and fanning four.