Saturday, April 09, 2005

CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Apr. 9, 2005) - East Tennessee State scored four runs in the final three innings and junior third baseman Greg Roberts (Douglas, Ga.) drove in what proved to be the winning run in the ninth as the Buccaneers rallied to defeat Western Carolina, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium in Cullowhee, N.C.

The Bucs (17-9, 7-7 Southern Conference) took their first lead of the game with two runs in the top of the eighth. Roberts had a leadoff bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on an infield single by junior right fielder Shane Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.). New WCU pitcher Clint Ramsey came out of the bullpen and surrendered an RBI single by senior catcher Caleb Moore (Knoxville, Tenn.) to tie the game at 2-2. After a strikeout, junior shortstop Chuck Hargis (Powell, Tenn.) delivered an RBI single to left-center, plating Byrne.

ETSU padded its advantage in the top of the ninth. After a leadoff single by junior left fielder Josiah Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.), senior pinch hitter Justin Clear (Lafollette, Tenn.) moved the runner up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Roberts then drove in Glafenhein with an RBI single to right.

Moore, who had a big hit in the eighth, moved from catcher to the mound to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth. He did record his seventh save of the year, but it was hard earned. With one out and one on, Trey McDaniel doubled off the left-field wall, scoring Steven Strausbaugh. However, Moore got two fly outs to strand McDaniel on second and end the contest.

Buccaneer junior righty Jeremy Hall (Gray, Tenn.) picked up the win (6-1), pitching 8.0 innings. He scattered nine hits, allowing two runs with three strikeouts. Brian Barnes, the reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Week, was the tough-luck loser, falling to 1-1 on the season. He left the game only allowing one run, but two runners he allowed to reach with infield singles in the eighth would score. The senior pitched a career-high 7.1 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) with no walks and three strikeouts.

Western Carolina (20-11, 8-6 SoCon) took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Barrett Shaft had a one-out triple and scored one batter later on Tim Hallam's RBI ground out.

ETSU got what ended up being a key defensive play in the one-run game in the bottom of the fifth. Shaft doubled down the left field line and Glafenhein slid to stop the ball from getting to the wall. Nate Hall tried to score from first on the play, but two solid throws, one by Glafenhein and one by shortstop Hargis, allowed Moore to make the out at home.

Barnes sat down 11 straight from the second to the sixth inning before allowing a single in the sixth. The Bucs got to Barnes again in the seventh to score an unearned run. Sophomore centerfielder Stephen Douglas (Kennesaw, Ga.) reached on a fielding error and, on the play, moved to second on another error. A sacrifice bunt moved Douglas to third, then junior first baseman Blake Church (Roswell, Ga.) had an RBI infield single off Barnes' glove to tie the game.

The Catamounts answered back in the home half of the seventh. Chris Davis had a one-out infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Jonathan Greene's RBI single to right-center.

Byrne, Hargis, Glafenhein and Roberts each had two hits for the Bucs. For the Catamounts, Shaft was 3-for-4 and Greene had two hits in four at bats. During the game, Strausbaugh and McDaniel each had hits to extend their hitting streaks to 15 and 12 games, respectively.

Western Carolina and East Tennessee State will complete their three-game series on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 pm.