|
Western took advantage of two errors and three hits to score five times in the seventh for the final margin.
Beck, Ryan Schade and Donovan Minero all went three of five. Myers and Clint Ramsey were both two of four.
Lance Links and Bill Johnson both went two of four to pace the Raiders.
Jared Burton was the winning pitcher. He struck out seven in six innings and gave up no earned runs while walking one. Brad Josey pitched three scoreless innings for the save.
Brian Stephens was saddled with the loss. He allowed 11 hits and eight runs in 3.1 innings.
In game two, Foster dominated from the start. He struck out the side twice in his six innings. The only hit he allowed was a single by Nick Shields in the fourth. He also walked one batter.
Schade, Buchanan and Minero all had three hits. Minero had a solo home run in the fifth, and Buchanan drove in five runs. Rod Goldston, Chris Aeschlimann and Todd Roper had two hits apiece.
Western sent 10 men to the plate in the first inning and scored six runs. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth and scored eight times. The Cats took advantage of three walks and a hit batsman to score their final four runs in the sixth.
Schade and Beck each collected three hits to lead Western to the 9-6 victory and series sweep Sunday.
Like in the first two games, Western jumped to an early lead plating three in the first and one in the second. Buchanan put WCU's first two runs on the board with a triple. He scored on an infield hit by Minero. Schade had an RBI single in the second.
The Raiders closed within 4-2 in the third then took their only lead of the weekend an inning later as a four-run fourth made it 6-4. Chris Tuttle and Matt Hay both delivered two-run singles.
Western reclaimed the lead at 8-6 with a four-run sixth. Beck singled in two runs, and another two runs came home on an error on the play.
Beck's single brought home an insurance run in the eighth.
Buchanan added two hits for the Cats.
Hay, Trent Matthews and Jake Hart all had two hits for the Raiders.
Reliever Rob Hoover pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Ryan Foster retired the side in order in the ninth for the save.
Beck has now reached base by either a hit or a walk in 59 consecutive games.
Relief pitcher J.P. Jung took the loss.
The Cats will return to action Friday with a 1:30 p.m. game against Virginia Tech in the Berkeley Electric Shootout at Charleston, S.C. They will meet Virginia at 5 p.m. Saturday and West Virginia at 10 a.m. Sunday. All three games will be played at Riley Park.
|
Ryan Schade, a senior shortstop from Lewisburg, Pa., was named Southern Conference Player of the Week after helping Western Carolina sweep a three-game series from Wright State. He hit .692 in the three games with four doubles, seven runs scored and six RBIs. - WCU photo by Mark Haskett