March 25, 2000
WESTERN CAROLINA DROPS TWO TO FURMAN
CULLOWHEE, N.C. --- Furman ended a three-year, 13 game slide against Western
Carolina by taking two Southern Conference games from the Catamounts at Hennon
Stadium Saturday afternoon, 24-13 and 8-5. It was the first time the Paladins
had beaten WCU since the 1996 season.
Game one saw WCU jump out to an 8-1 lead after three innings of play. Furman
then scored 14 runs in the fourth inning to take a 15-8 lead at the end of three
and one-half innings. The Catamounts gave up seven hits, committed four errors,
walked five batters and hit two others in the inning.
Five players scored two runs in the inning for the Paladins. Chris Valdes
led Furman (10-16-1, 5-5-1 SoCon) with five runs batted in. James Bright and
Ryan Richetti each had three hits in the game.
WCU freshman Alan Beck was one of six Catamounts to have a multi-hit game.
Beck was 3-of-5 with two runs scored and a run batted in.
Furman scored two runs in the first and another in the second to take an early
3-0 lead in game two. WCU (6-21, 3-11) freshman Jeremy Hamrick tied the score
with a three-run triple in the fourth and then put the Cats ahead with a run
scoring ground-out in the sixth. Furman retook the lead in its half of the seventh.
Following back-to-back singles to start the inning, Chris Valdes reached on
a booted ball to load the bases. Richetti then laced a one-out, two-run single
to left field to put Furman back on top. The Paladins also added three insurance
runs in the ninth.
Tom Mastny (2-1) picked up his second victory of the season, going eight innings, striking out five and walking one. Ryan Basner (1-3) was tabbed with his third loss of the season. The three-game series concludes Sunday at Hennon Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 1 p.m.