April 9, 2006

Stats

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Four Furman relievers combined to hurl 4 1/3 innings of no-hit ball to preserve a 5-2 win over The Citadel in the final game of a Southern Conference baseball series at Joseph P. Riley Park Sunday afternoon.

Will Feemster, Butch Pucetas, David Mitchell, and Nick Hollstegge put the clamps on the Bulldogs' bats, surrendering no hits and three walks while striking out four to deliver the series rubber game victory to Furman (20-10, 8-1 SoCon).

The triumph, the ninth in the last 11 games for the Paladins, also marked Furman's 15th win in its last 16 clashes against SoCon opponents dating back to last year. The Paladins' are now off to their best start in league play since 1976.

The Citadel (17-15, 4-5 SoCon) managed only five hits in the contest and committed four errors. The Bulldogs mustered only eight runs, including just five earned, on 17 hits against Paladin pitching in the three-game weekend series.

Andrew Greene went 1-for-5 and scored a run to extend his hitting streak to 24 games, and Tony Maccani, the SoCon's leading hitter, belted his sixth home run of the year -- a solo shot to lead off the eighth inning -- to extend the Paladins' lead to 5-2.

With Furman holding a 4-2 lead, Feemster entered the game for Paladin starter Ryan Hodinka with two outs in the bottom of the fifth and struck out The Citadel's Sonny Meade to end the inning. The product of Greenville's J.L. Mann High School recorded one out in the seventh before giving way to Pucetas, who notched the final two outs of the frame. Pucetas walked Meade to start the eighth but recovered by getting Zach Brown to hit into a double play. At that point Mitchell came on to get the final out. In the ninth Mitchell struck out the Bulldogs' Conrad Kellahan, and Nick Hollstegge closed the contest, getting the final two outs to record his fifth save of the campaign and second in the series.

Feemter (3-0) picked up the win and lowered his season earned run average to 1.12. Furman's team ERA now stands at 3.89.

Furman jumped on top in the first inning against Citadel starter Matt Crim, who opened the contest by hitting Ben Terry. Greene followed with a bunt single, and A.J. Daviduk advanced the two runners with a sacrifice. Terry then came home on a wild pitch, and Greene tallied the second run on Jay Jackson's sacrifice fly.

Matt Matulia's RBI double in the second made it a 2-1 game before the Paladins added two more in the third, combining three hits with a pair of Bulldog errors to extend the advantage to 4-1.

After The Citadel made it 4-2 in the fifth on Chance Smith's leadoff home run, Furman's bullpen slammed the door.

The Paladins return to action on Wednesday when they entertain Charleston Southern in a 5:00 p.m. game at Furman Stadium.