May 29, 2010

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CBI Live: SoCon Game 12: #1 The Citadel 6, #4 Elon 5 (10)

CBI Live: SoCon Game 13: #6 WCU 7, #7 ASU 6

CBI Live
ASU rallies for run in ninth to nip WCU 3-2

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The honor of the pickaxe went to Chris Trappy.

The senior came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit double to score fellow senior Jack Myers from second in the bottom of the ninth as seventh-seeded Appalachian State edged sixth-seeded Western Carolina 3-2 on Day 4 of the Southern Conference Tournament at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The two teams will meet again this afternoon at 5 p.m. for a spot in Sunday’s championship game.

“It was a really well-played ballgame on both sides,” said ASU head coach Chris Pollard. “I thought both team competed really good. We had a lot of step-up performances and Chris Trappy coming off the bench with that hit was huge.”

Myers started the rally by laying down a perfect bunt on the third-base line on the first pitch.

“I had tried previously to lay a bunt down,” Myers said, “but Coach (Matt) Boykin and Coach (Josh) Jordan pulled me aside and tweaked it a little bit. I knew going into my last at-bat I felt confident I could get it down and set up for the guys behind me because I trusted the guys behind me.”

Chris Alessandria then sacrificed Myers to second. Trappy then sent an 0-1 pitch to the gap in left center to drive in Myers with the game-winner.

“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Trappy said. “He started me off with a slider, and I didn’t look too great on that swing, so I was sitting on it again. I figured if I took a swing that bad, he’s going to come right back with it, and I got the pitch I wanted. I hit it on the barrel and the winning run came in.”

Along with his equipment back, Trappy carried a black-and-gold pickaxe into the interview room following the game. He said it is for outstanding plays made by the Mountaineers.

The Catamounts (36-20-1) got a pair in the top of the second. Ollie Goulder was hit by a pitch with one out. Following a strikeout, Tyler White had a base hit to advance Goulder to third. Dylan de Graaf reached on an error, with Goulder scoring on the play. Austin Schultz had a base hit up the middle to plate White with the second run.

The Mountaineers (38-17-1) answered with one in the third on no hits. Hector Crespo was hit by a pitch with two outs, was balked to second, moved to third with Jerod Faggart was plunked and scored on a wild pitch to make it a one-run contest.

ASU tied the game in the fifth. Crespo had a leadoff double, moved to third on an infield hit by Wes Hobson and scored on the errant throw to first.

Myers and Hobson both had two hits for the Mountaineers. White had three of the six hits for the Catamounts.

“We just didn’t hit, that’s the bottom line,” said WCU head coach Bobby Moranda. “We did not swing the bats well at all today. I have to give their pitcher a lot of credit. He threw really well. I thought our approach was off as a whole. If you don’t hit, you give the home team a chance to hang around you have a chance for a walk-off like that. We have to regroup and come back tonight, make some adjustments and swing the bats better.”

Mountaineer freshman starter Nathan Hyatt went seven innings with five hits, two unearned runs, two walks and nine strikeouts. Taylor Miller pitched a scoreless eighth with a strikeout and Chris Patterson (4-3) worked the ninth to record the win.

‘I thought both teams’ starting pitchers really stepped up,” Pollard said. “You had two freshmen on the mound in a really big spot going toe-to-toe. Both pitched well, but my hat’s off to Nate Hyatt, our freshman, who threw the ball great and competed really well. He worked around some of our mistakes behind him in the second, then settled in a pitched a heck of a ballgame. Our bullpen came in and did exactly what they wanted to do and what they’re supposed to do and did it efficiently without having to throw a lot of pitches.”

Freshman Taylor Sandefur gave the Catamounts 7.1 innings as the starter with six hits, two runs, two walks and one strikeout. Jason Sullivan (4-3) allowed two hits and one run in one inning to absorb the loss.

“I thought our starting pitcher, Sandefur, was outstanding,” Moranda said. “He gives us that and we’re going to win a lot of baseball games. He’s only a freshman. He’s been really maturing for us the last month and he’s going to be a great pitcher in this league.”

Both teams were going back to their hotels to eat and rest before returning for the 5 p.m. encounter.

(photos courtesy of Southern Conference Media Relations Office)