April 22, 2012

Box Score

Birmingham, Ala. - Western Carolina raced out to a seven-run lead by plating seven runs on seven hits in the top of the first inning on Sunday afternoon. However, for the third-straight day, Samford erased the Catamount advantage, rallying to a three-run lead before holding on in the ninth inning for a 10-9 victory at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

With the victory, Samford (25-15, 13-8 SoCon) earns it's first-ever sweep over WCU, taking all three games of the series. WCU (25-15, 10-8) was relegated to its fourth-straight loss, the longest such winless drought for the Catamounts on the season.

Four Catamounts recorded multiple hit games on Sunday including Ross Heffley and Tyler White who paced the squad. Heffley finished 3-for-4 with a walk, belting a two-run home run in the seven-run first inning while White was 3-for-5 with a trio of singles and two runs scored. White has also reached base successfully in 16-straight games, the longest such streak for a Catamount this year.

Adam Martin stretched his current hitting streak to eight-straight games with a 2-for-5 performance while Bradley Strong, who was moved to the top of the order, going 2-for-6 in the loss.

Junior Adam Curtis (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season after coming on in relief of starter Jeremy Null in the fifth inning. Null, who struck out five through four and a third inning of work, surrendered five runs on six hits in a no-decision. Curtis only recorded a third of an inning on the hill, walking two with one hit plating three runs.

WCU also tossed senior Darron Dotson with junior Preston Hatcher tossing three and a third innings, scattering five hits and allowing one run with a walk and a strikeout.

Western Carolina sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, scratching the scoreboard for seven runs on seven hits. Strong led off with a bloop single to left to give him an eight-game hit streak before Heffley blasted his fourth home run of the season. Cody Jones recorded his lone hit of the day on a double to left center with White singling to put two aboard in front of Martin. The Catamount catcher delivered a single to right field to score the third run, all before the first out was recorded.

Aaron Attaway drew a walk to load the bases, chasing starting pitcher Kyle Putkonen after recording just a third of an inning. Julian Ridings then greeted reliever Gil Walker with a single up the middle to plate two and a 5-0 WCU advantage. Freshman Dale Urquhart Jr., who earned the start in left field, singled home the sixth run with Strong grounding into a fielder's choice to allow the seventh marker to cross the plate.

WCU's seven-run advantage would last until Christiaan Durdaller doubled to left center and was later scored on a ground out to first base by Zeth Stone. Durdaller, eighth in the order, and No. 9 batter Austin Allison both finished 3-for-4 on the day while Stone drove in two.

Trailing by six, 7-1, Samford sent 13 batters to the plate in the decisive fifth inning, plating eight runs to take a 9-7 lead. Tommy Corbin singled twice in the inning with C.K. Irby delivering the big shot on a three-RBI double. All told, the home squad scored eight on eight hits in the frame.

The Bulldogs tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning as Saxon Butler singled home Allison to make it 10-7 entering the ninth inning.

Western Carolina made a strong effort in the ninth facing Bulldog closer, Irby. The Catamounts opened the frame with back-to-back hits including a single by White and a double down the left field line by Martin to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Two batters later, Attaway delivered a one-out single to score White from third, cutting it to a two-run deficit, 10-8. Ridings then flirted with a home run to deep center, but the sacrifice fly plating Martin for the third RBI on the day for Ridings.

Dykota Spiess, who came on late in the game for Urquhart, then beat out an infield single on a ball hit to second to put runners at first and second with two out. However, Strong got under a pitch and flew out to center to end the threat and the game with the 10-9 tally.

Irby picked up his eighth save of the season - and second of the weekend - by tossing the final frame, allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeout. Reliever Lex Rutledge (1-3) earned his first victory of the season, settling the game down for the Bulldogs out of the bullpen after the rough start. Rutledge, one of eight pitchers used by Samford on the day, held the Catamounts scoreless on just two hits through four innings.

Four Bulldogs posted two-or-more hits as Durdaller and Allison had three hits apiece. Brad Moss doubled for one of his two hits in a 2-for-5 showing while Corbin was 2-for-3.

Western Carolina returns to the diamond on Wednesday as it travels to East Tennessee State for a mid-week nonconference tilt. The Catamounts host second-place College of Charleston for a three-game set in league action next weekend in Cullowhee.