Appalachian State Forces Rematch With Western Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Pinch hitter Chris Trappy’s double to left center brought outfielder Jack Myers across home plate and gave seventh-seeded Appalachian State a 3-2 victory over No. 6 seed Western Carolina in game 11 of the 2010 Bennett Hofford Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Carolina Ford Dealers. 

With ASU’s victory, the two teams will meet again at 5 p.m. with a trip to the championship game on the line.

Chris Patterson (4-3) earned the victory for the Mountaineers, pitching one inning and allowing one hit. Nathan Hyatt, the starting pitcher for ASU, surrendered two unearned runs on five hits in seven strong innings of work. He retired nine batters.

Jason Sullivan (4-3) suffered the loss for the Catamounts. He gave up one earned run on two hits while striking out one.

Second baseman Wes Hobson led ASU, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Outfielder Jack Myers hit 2-for-4 and scored the game-winning run after reaching on a well-placed drag bunt single down the third base line and being sacrificed to second by Chris Alessandria.

First baseman Tyler White went 3-for-4 for WCU, scoring one run. Shortstop Austin Schultz tallied one RBI.

Western Carolina got on the board in the top of the second, taking a 2-0 lead. Outfielder Dylan de Graaf reached base on a fielding error by the shortstop and brought in catcher Ollie Goulder. Schultz stepped up to the plate next and hit a single up the middle scoring White.

Appalachian State made it a 2-1 contest in the bottom of the third. A wild pitch plated third baseman Hector Crespo.

The Mountaineers tied it at two all in the bottom of the fifth. Hobson singled to the shortstop, who committed a throwing error, allowing Crespo to score the tying run.

Each team registered one error and both stranded seven runners on base.