Catamounts remain in second place after taking two of three from ETSU

The Catamounts (31-18, 20-10) are second in the SC and have concluded league play. Citadel (19-8) leads the conference and is slated to play three games over the weekend at last place Virginia Military (1-24).

College of Charleston and Georgia Southern are tied for third at 17-10. They could tie WCU with weekend series sweeps. Charleston will be home against Davidson (12-14), and GSU will be home against UNC-Greensboro (16-10).

The Southern Conference Tournament is set for May 22-25 at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.

In Friday's series opener at ETSU, Western scored six runs in the first and never looked back en route to a 16-3 romp.

Alex Gary tripled in the game's first run and scored on Ryan Schade's single. A wild pitch and Brian Sigmon's RBI single added a pair of runs before Rod Goldston capped the uprising with a two-run single to center.

The Cats had consecutive singles by Todd Buchanan and Dan Woodley to start the third. After a Todd Roper sacrifice, Goldston plated Buchanan with a ground out. Gary followed with a walk, and Schade had a two-run double for a 9-0 lead.

Alan Beck's double, a walk to Buchanan and Woodley's single loaded the bases in the fourth. Roper cleared the sacks with a double for a 12-0 margin.

Schade singled and came around on Beck's double in the fifth making it 13-0.

The Cats scored their final three runs in the seventh. Goldston had a solo homer, and Beck blasted a two-run shot.

Singles by Bryan Crouse, John Gorton, Chad Boruff and Michael Giroud helped the Buccaneers score twice in the eighth. Crouse homered in the ninth to account for their other run.

Jared Burton (7-4) pitched six shutout innings for the win. He yielded four hits and a walk and fanned seven.

ETSU starter Tim Turner took the loss.

Schade and Beck were both three of five at the plate. Goldston, Sigmon and Woodley all were two of five.

Crouse and Jeremy Terry both had two hits for the Bucs.

Western nearly let a five-run, ninth-inning lead slip away, but managed to hold on for a 7-6 win Saturday.

Trailing 7-2, the Bucs loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth as Kirk Keithley and Crouse singled and Boruff was hit by a pitch. They pushed two runs across on back-to-back infield singles by Matt Traylor and Terry. A throwing error allowed two more runs to score before Ryan Basner recorded a strike out to end the game and pick up his second save.

Western scored in the first as Goldston, Gary and Schade walked to load the basses and Donovan Minero hit into a double play.

Crouse's home run put ETSU up 2-1 in the fourth.

The Cats tied it in the sixth on Beck's homer and took a 3-2 edge in the sixth on an RBI single by Gary.

Beck had a sacrifice fly in the eighth extending the margin to 4-2.

WCU appeared to have the game in hand after scoring three times in the ninth for the 7-2 advantage. Buchanan and Roper singled and Goldston was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gary had a two-run double. After Schade was hit by a pitch, Minero plated the final run with a sacrifice fly.

Dan Foley (4-2) was the winning pitcher. He allowed four hits and two runs in six innings. Foley, walked no one and struck out three.

Reid Casey took the loss.

Gary and Buchanan both went two of four at the plate.

The Bucs were led offensively by Keithley and Crouse, who were two of four.

ETSU salvaged the final game of the series with a 16-10 victory Sunday.

Western looked as if it might be on its way to an easy win with five runs in the first. Consecutive singles by Schade, Minero and Beck plated a run. Buchanan had a two-run double and, after an error, Sigmon and Roper delivered RBI singles.

Traylor homered for the Bucs in the first, and Turner tied the game in the second with a grand slam.

Clint Ramsey's RBI single put the Cats up 6-5 in the third.

Western expanded its lead to 9-5 with three runs in the fourth. Goldston doubled, Schade walked and Minero had an RBI single. Minero stole second, and Ramsey delivered a two-run single.

Terry's RBI single cut the gap to 9-6 in the bottom of the fourth.

The Bucs took an 11-9 lead with five runs in the fifth. Crouse had a leadoff single, and ETSU loaded the bases on a walk and a hit batsman. Justin Clear drove in a run with a fielder's choice. Turner had an RBI single, and Terry later walked with the bases loaded. Brandon Cross capped the rally with a two-run single.

Keithley homered for a 12-9 lead in the sixth.

Buchanan doubled and scored on a ground out by Sigmon making it 12-10 in the seventh.

The Bucs put the game away with a four-run eighth. Terry drove in two runs with a single. ETSU also took advantage of three walks and an error.

Josh Kite was the winner in relief. WCU reliever Rob Hoover (2-1) took the loss.

Traylor, Terry and Turner all had three hits for the Bucs. Crouse added two hits.

Western was led by Ramsey and Buchanan with three hits apiece. Schade, Minero and Roper each had two hits.

Western was scheduled to be home Wednesday against Clemson, the nation's top-ranked team, at 3:30 p.m. Results were not known at Herald press time.

The regular season will conclude with games against UNC-Asheville at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Asheville's McCormick Field.

Back to Sports: 05/16/02.