Thursday, May 20
Cullowhee, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
Davidson College
6
at
7 (10)
Western Carolina
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Western Has Final Answer, Wins Series Opener, 7-6, in 10th
5/20/2010 11:30:45 PM | Baseball
Box Score
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Austin Schultz' walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th lifted the Western Carolina Catamounts to a 7-6 win in the opening game of the teams' final regular-season SoCon series Thursday night at Hennon Stadium.
It was a back-and-forth contest with four lead changes and three ties, before Schultz' game-winner in the bottom of the 10th. Davidson (19-30, 5-23 SoCon) had knotted the score on an RBI-single from sophomore catcher Seth Freeman, and junior right-hander Andy Bass struck out two of three batters in the final half-inning to force extra innings.
With Western Carolina (32-19, 14-13-1 SoCon) starter Matt Benedict out of the game, the Wildcats got to reliever Brandon Johnson for three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the 10th. The Catamounts though turned a bases-loaded, one-out situation into four runs in the home half of the inning to escape with the victory.
After Benedict faced the minimum to open the game, designated hitter Ross Heffley put the Catamounts on the scoreboard with a two-out solo home run in the bottom half. Davidson answered in its next at-bat, taking advantage of two errors by the Western defense, as designated hitter #J.P. Craven# (2-for-5) reached safely on the first error of the inning, advancing to second as Tyler Kirkpatrick mishandled the throw from third, and scored on the second as Schultz committed a fielding error at shortstop on sophomore second baseman Calvin Sigelbaum's (1-for-3) offering to knot the score.
Thomas Middour retired three straight Catamounts in the second, but Davidson couldn't take advantage of a one-out single by junior right fielder Sam Payne in the bottom half. Western went ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the third as Kirkpatrick drew a bases-loaded walk, but the Wildcat defense left the bases juiced and the offense got the run back in the fourth to tie the score again. Sigelbaum took a two-out walk and moved to second on General's second hit of the night, a single into left field. Freshman center fielder Coleman Barron got the Wildcats' second straight two-out hit, and a throwing error by first baseman Tyler White allowed Sigelbaum to tie the score.
Middour got three straight outs after a leadoff walk in the fourth, but Davidson failed to take advantage of hits from Freeman and Payne to start the fifth when Freeman was thrown out at home and Payne was caught stealing. The Wildcats got a leadoff hit in both the sixth and seventh, from Craven and Freeman, respectively, and successfully sacrificed the run over each time but failed to score both times. Likewise, the Catamounts loaded the bases with three straight hits in the seventh but also failed to score as junior submariner Mike Frongello got a double-play ball and strikeout to end the inning to keep the game tied.
Benedict struck out the side of Wildcats in the eighth, and Western went ahead a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single from Dylan de Graaf. After a leadoff walk, Bass took over for Frongello and got a pair of strikeouts before the run-scoring single, but picked off de Graaf to end the inning.
Davidson answered yet again with a run in the top of the ninth as Freeman singled in Barron, who led off with a base-hit and was sacrificed to second by freshman shortstop Michael Zeblo. Johnson retired the next two hitters to strand a runner and send the game to the bottom of the ninth tied, but Bass retired three straight Catamounts to force extras.
The Wildcats scored three runs on two hits and an error to open a 6-3 lead in the top of the ninth. Craven started the scoring with a one-out single into left, and pinch runner Michael Goldberg took third as Sigelbaum followed with a base hit to right. General's sacrifice bunt and an error by catcher Ollie Goulder produced the Wildcats' first run and Sigelbaum scored the second on another, a passed ball. Barron's sacrifice fly scored the third run, but Zeblo flied out to end the inning.
Bass struck out Kirkpatrick to start the 10th but loaded the bases with a pair of walks and hit batsmen and couldn't get out of the jam. Pinch hitter Bryant Noteboom drove in a pair of runs with a double down the right field line and de Graaf knotted the score with a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat before Schultz lifted the Catamounts to the 7-6 win with a double into the gap in right center field to score the winning run.
Bass (L, 0-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and striking out five in 2 2/3 innings of relief for Middour, who held the Catamounts to just two runs on eight hits in six innings.
Johnson (W, 7-1) earned the win, despite allowing four runs on four hits over the last two innings of relief for Benedict, who struck out eight and also allowed two runs on eight hits over eight innings.
Davidson finished with 12 hits, while the Catamounts used 11, with both teams led by their leadoff hitter. Freeman finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, and Schultz went 3-for-6 with an RBI for Western. The Wildcats left nine runners on base, while Western stranded 10.
Davidson and Western will play the second game of the series tomorrow at 6 p.m.
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Austin Schultz' walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th lifted the Western Carolina Catamounts to a 7-6 win in the opening game of the teams' final regular-season SoCon series Thursday night at Hennon Stadium.
It was a back-and-forth contest with four lead changes and three ties, before Schultz' game-winner in the bottom of the 10th. Davidson (19-30, 5-23 SoCon) had knotted the score on an RBI-single from sophomore catcher Seth Freeman, and junior right-hander Andy Bass struck out two of three batters in the final half-inning to force extra innings.
With Western Carolina (32-19, 14-13-1 SoCon) starter Matt Benedict out of the game, the Wildcats got to reliever Brandon Johnson for three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the 10th. The Catamounts though turned a bases-loaded, one-out situation into four runs in the home half of the inning to escape with the victory.
After Benedict faced the minimum to open the game, designated hitter Ross Heffley put the Catamounts on the scoreboard with a two-out solo home run in the bottom half. Davidson answered in its next at-bat, taking advantage of two errors by the Western defense, as designated hitter #J.P. Craven# (2-for-5) reached safely on the first error of the inning, advancing to second as Tyler Kirkpatrick mishandled the throw from third, and scored on the second as Schultz committed a fielding error at shortstop on sophomore second baseman Calvin Sigelbaum's (1-for-3) offering to knot the score.
Thomas Middour retired three straight Catamounts in the second, but Davidson couldn't take advantage of a one-out single by junior right fielder Sam Payne in the bottom half. Western went ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the third as Kirkpatrick drew a bases-loaded walk, but the Wildcat defense left the bases juiced and the offense got the run back in the fourth to tie the score again. Sigelbaum took a two-out walk and moved to second on General's second hit of the night, a single into left field. Freshman center fielder Coleman Barron got the Wildcats' second straight two-out hit, and a throwing error by first baseman Tyler White allowed Sigelbaum to tie the score.
Middour got three straight outs after a leadoff walk in the fourth, but Davidson failed to take advantage of hits from Freeman and Payne to start the fifth when Freeman was thrown out at home and Payne was caught stealing. The Wildcats got a leadoff hit in both the sixth and seventh, from Craven and Freeman, respectively, and successfully sacrificed the run over each time but failed to score both times. Likewise, the Catamounts loaded the bases with three straight hits in the seventh but also failed to score as junior submariner Mike Frongello got a double-play ball and strikeout to end the inning to keep the game tied.
Benedict struck out the side of Wildcats in the eighth, and Western went ahead a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single from Dylan de Graaf. After a leadoff walk, Bass took over for Frongello and got a pair of strikeouts before the run-scoring single, but picked off de Graaf to end the inning.
Davidson answered yet again with a run in the top of the ninth as Freeman singled in Barron, who led off with a base-hit and was sacrificed to second by freshman shortstop Michael Zeblo. Johnson retired the next two hitters to strand a runner and send the game to the bottom of the ninth tied, but Bass retired three straight Catamounts to force extras.
The Wildcats scored three runs on two hits and an error to open a 6-3 lead in the top of the ninth. Craven started the scoring with a one-out single into left, and pinch runner Michael Goldberg took third as Sigelbaum followed with a base hit to right. General's sacrifice bunt and an error by catcher Ollie Goulder produced the Wildcats' first run and Sigelbaum scored the second on another, a passed ball. Barron's sacrifice fly scored the third run, but Zeblo flied out to end the inning.
Bass struck out Kirkpatrick to start the 10th but loaded the bases with a pair of walks and hit batsmen and couldn't get out of the jam. Pinch hitter Bryant Noteboom drove in a pair of runs with a double down the right field line and de Graaf knotted the score with a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat before Schultz lifted the Catamounts to the 7-6 win with a double into the gap in right center field to score the winning run.
Bass (L, 0-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and striking out five in 2 2/3 innings of relief for Middour, who held the Catamounts to just two runs on eight hits in six innings.
Johnson (W, 7-1) earned the win, despite allowing four runs on four hits over the last two innings of relief for Benedict, who struck out eight and also allowed two runs on eight hits over eight innings.
Davidson finished with 12 hits, while the Catamounts used 11, with both teams led by their leadoff hitter. Freeman finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, and Schultz went 3-for-6 with an RBI for Western. The Wildcats left nine runners on base, while Western stranded 10.
Davidson and Western will play the second game of the series tomorrow at 6 p.m.
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