Friday, May 27
Charleston, S.C.
7:00 PM
College of Charleston
4
vs
2
#8 Western Carolina
Baseball Advances in SoCon Tourney With 4-2 Win Over Western Carolina
5/28/2011 2:29:00 AM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Sophomore RHP Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C.) tied a career-high with eight strikeouts over seven innings and redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) drove in a pair of runs with a two-run triple in the seventh as the No. 5-seed College of Charleston defeated No. 8-seed Western Carolina 4-2 Friday evening in the 2011 Southern Conference Baseball Championship at Riley Park. The Cougars advance to face No. 4-seed Georgia Southern tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
The Catamounts opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Matt Johns doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on a single up the middle by Ross Heffley. A RBI groundout to second by Tyler White scored Johns and gave Western Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Charleston responded with a run in the top of the fourth to knot the game at 1-1. Leeds led off the frame with a walk and stole second. With two outs, senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) lined a 1-0 pitch into the left-center gap for a RBI double, plating Leeds and tying the game.
The Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when junior 2B Rob Harding (Columbia, S.C.) drew a full-count walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt to first by redshirt-freshman C Jimmy Holton (West Palm Beach, Fla.). Junior 1B Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) drove a 0-1 pitch off the wall in right field for a RBI double that scored Harding from second and put the Cougars up by one.
Charleston extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the seventh on a two-run triple down the right-field line by Leeds. With Cameron Dullnig on the mound for the Catamounts, Gantt knocked his second double of the game, this time down the left-field line. After a full-count walk was issued to redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) by Morgan McKinney, Leeds ripped a deep fly ball that dropped into the right-field corner and bounced off the wall, allowing both Gantt and Kral to score.
Western Carolina cut the Cougars' lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh as Aaron Attaway and Cody Jones both singled to lead off the inning and a fielder's choice by Austin Schultz put runners at first and third with one out. Johns lifted a 0-2 pitch to deep center for a sacrifice fly that plated Attaway and cut the Charleston lead to two, but junior RHP Kyle Owings (Gilbert, S.C.) came in to close the door on the Catamounts. Owings picked up his eighth save of the season, allowing only one hit over the final two innings with three strikeouts.
Powell scattered eight hits over the seven innings, allowing two runs and two walks to improve to 8-1 on the season. Gantt led the Cougars with four hits on the evening with two doubles and one RBI. Kyle Stewart took the loss for the Catamounts, allowing two runs on three hits in six innings and tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts.
Tomorrow's game can be heard live on ESPN Radio 910-AM in the Charleston area with Jeff McCarragher handling the play-by-play.
The Catamounts opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Matt Johns doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on a single up the middle by Ross Heffley. A RBI groundout to second by Tyler White scored Johns and gave Western Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Charleston responded with a run in the top of the fourth to knot the game at 1-1. Leeds led off the frame with a walk and stole second. With two outs, senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) lined a 1-0 pitch into the left-center gap for a RBI double, plating Leeds and tying the game.
The Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when junior 2B Rob Harding (Columbia, S.C.) drew a full-count walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt to first by redshirt-freshman C Jimmy Holton (West Palm Beach, Fla.). Junior 1B Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) drove a 0-1 pitch off the wall in right field for a RBI double that scored Harding from second and put the Cougars up by one.
Charleston extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the seventh on a two-run triple down the right-field line by Leeds. With Cameron Dullnig on the mound for the Catamounts, Gantt knocked his second double of the game, this time down the left-field line. After a full-count walk was issued to redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) by Morgan McKinney, Leeds ripped a deep fly ball that dropped into the right-field corner and bounced off the wall, allowing both Gantt and Kral to score.
Western Carolina cut the Cougars' lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh as Aaron Attaway and Cody Jones both singled to lead off the inning and a fielder's choice by Austin Schultz put runners at first and third with one out. Johns lifted a 0-2 pitch to deep center for a sacrifice fly that plated Attaway and cut the Charleston lead to two, but junior RHP Kyle Owings (Gilbert, S.C.) came in to close the door on the Catamounts. Owings picked up his eighth save of the season, allowing only one hit over the final two innings with three strikeouts.
Powell scattered eight hits over the seven innings, allowing two runs and two walks to improve to 8-1 on the season. Gantt led the Cougars with four hits on the evening with two doubles and one RBI. Kyle Stewart took the loss for the Catamounts, allowing two runs on three hits in six innings and tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts.
Tomorrow's game can be heard live on ESPN Radio 910-AM in the Charleston area with Jeff McCarragher handling the play-by-play.
Players Mentioned
OF/LHP
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IF/RHP
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RHP
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RHP
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OF
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