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Klinker Pitches Furman Past Appalachian State, 3-2
April 22, 2006
BOONE, N.C. -- Matt Klinker pitched 7 2/3 innings of solid baseball to lead Furman past Appalachian State 3-2 in Southern Conference action Saturday afternoon at Red Lackey Field.
The win was fourth straight for Furman (25-11, 11-2 SoCon) and 16th triumph in the last 20 games for the SoCon leading Paladins, who have also notched 18 victories in their last 20 clashes against conference opposition dating back to last year. The 25 wins in 36 games this year are the most ever recorded by a Furman squad in program history, which dates back to 1896.
Klinker, a junior righthander from Cincinnati, Ohio, improved to 5-2 on the season after surrendering seven hits and pair of walks while striking out five before departing with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 3-2 lead. David Mitchell relieved Klinker and struck out Adam Beasley to end the frame, and Nick Hollstegge followed with a scoreless ninth to convert his sixth consecutive save opportunity and ninth save of the campaign. Hollstegge has not allowed a hit in his last six appearances, which covers 7 1/3 innings of work.
Case Cassedy doubled three times as part of a 3-for-4 performance and also scored a pair of runs to lead the Paladins offensively. Ben Terry added a couple of base hits for the Paladins, who won for the fourth time in their last five road games.
Furman took a 1-0 lead in the fourth after Cassedy led off with a double, advanced to third on a Jay Jackson single, and came home on A.J. Davidiuk's sacrifice fly.
An inning later Ben Terry doubled to left center with two outs and came around to score on Andrew Greene's single up the middle.
Appalachian State made it 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth on Rand Smith's solo home run to left field.
The Paladins answered with a run in the sixth on Tony Maccani's two-out single that plated Cassedy, who had led off the frame with his third double of the contest.
The Mountaineers narrowed the Paladin advantage to 3-2 in the eighth on Beasley's two-out solo home run to left, chasing Klinker from the game.
Jonathan Reeder (3-4) took the loss for ASU (16-21-1, 4-12 SoCon) after working 7 1/3 innings and allowing nine hits, three runs, and two walks while striking out five.
The two teams are scheduled to play at Sunday doubleheader beginning at Noon.
