WESTERN CAROLINA SHAVES DUKES 4-3 IN SPRINGMAID BASEBALL RUMBLE

Saturday, March 5

Conway, S.C.

TBA

James Madison University

1-5

Western Carolina

5-3

James Madison

Western Carolina

WESTERN CAROLINA SHAVES DUKES 4-3 IN SPRINGMAID BASEBALL RUMBLE

3/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

WESTERN CAROLINA SHAVES DUKES 4-3 IN SPRINGMAID BASEBALL RUMBLE

Matt Bristow hit his second homer of the season.

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. (3/5/05) – Western Carolina freshman designated hitter Blake Murphy (Waynesville, N.C./Tuscola) snapped a tie game with a sacrifice fly and three pitchers retired the final 10 James Madison batters as the Catamounts trimmed the Dukes, 4-3, in non-conference college baseball Saturday. The game was part of the Springmaid Beach Resort Rumble hosted by Coastal Carolina University and was the first ever between the two programs.

The Catamounts (5-3) plated the decisive run without the aid of a hit in the sixth inning. Senior catcher Jared Greenwood (Franklin, N.C./Franklin) walked to begin the inning, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. That set up Murphy's fly ball deep in the right-center ally.

Junior right-hander Jeremy Ellenburg (Forest City, N.C./East Rutherford) picked up the win with 4 1/3 innings of middle relief. He gave up a pair of runs on six hits and struck out four before giving way to junior right-hander Luke Miller (Burnsville, N.C./Mountain Heritage). Miller retired both batter he faced. Junior right-hander Brian McCullen (Goldsboro, N.C./Eastern Wayne) earned his second save with a perfect ninth, including a pair of strikeouts.

The Dukes (1-5) never led in the contest, but twice tied the game.

Sophomore first baseman Trey McDaniel (West Columbia, S.C./Brookland Cayce) hit an opposite-field homer up into the wind and over the wall in left for a 1-0 WCU advantage in the bottom of the second. Junior first baseman Matt Bristow (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) answered with a solo blast, his second of the season, in the top of the third to pull the Dukes' even.

WCU, coached by former JMU and Spanky McFarland assistant Todd Raleigh, scored single runs in third and fourth frames to take a 3-1 lead. Sophomore left fielder Brandon Zollman (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge) tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the third. A two-out single by freshman right fielder Steven Strausbaugh (Venice, Fla./Venice) pushed across Greenwood, who doubled to start the fourth, with the third run.

The Dukes tallied three of their eight hits in fifth, scoring twice to draw even once again. Bristow singled followed by freshman Kellen Kulbacki's (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) second double of the day. Junior center fielder Skyler Doom (Yorktown, Va./York) singled to centerfield to drive in Bristow. Junior second baseman Michael Cowgill (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay) lofted a fly ball into center for a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore right-hander Bobby Lasko (Athens, Pa./Athens Area) was saddled with the loss, falling to 0-2. He toiled for 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits, while walked two and striking out three.

Bristow and Kulbacki each finished with two hits for the Dukes.

The Dukes will complete their stay in the Myrtle Beach area with an 11 a.m game Sunday against Kent State University of the Mid-American Conference. The Dukes and Golden Flash have met only once, and that was a 10-8 JMU win in 1987.