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Blue Eagles Fall To Stingers In Extras
Web Posted June 11, 2010

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Spartanburg Blue Eagles (5-4) fell to the Carolina Stingers (3-6) 5-4 in extra innings Friday night in Fort Mill South Carolina in game 1 of a doubleheader.

The Blue Eagles scored three runs on Stinger starter pitcher Dave Koppenheffer off five walks and two errors in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead. However, Koppenheffer found his control and did not walk another Blue Eagle hitter in the remaining four innings he pitched. As Koppenheffer settled in, so did the Stingers. Carolina battled back scoring two runs in the third off Blue Eagle starter Gaither Bumgardner (USC-Upstate). Bumgardner threw 3.0 innings, allowing two runs, one which was earned, before being taken out for reliever Ryan Traylor. (Wofford)

The Stingers tied the score 3-3 in the bottom half of the fifth as outfielder Troy Stanza came around to score after being hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. The Blue Eagles bounced back in sixth though to take a 4-3 three lead. Traylor pitched into the bottom half of the sixth inning before loading the bases for shortstop Travis Weaver.

Head Coach Ryan Thomas took out Traylor for Wofford’s Anthony Rowland. Rowland gave up an infield single to Weaver that tied the game at 4 apiece, but was able to keep it tied at 4 as a result of leftfielder Tyler Miller’s (USC-Upstate) right arm. Troy Handza hit a line drive shot to left field that looked to be deep enough to score designated hitter Andrew Ewing from third. However, Miller caught the line-out, crowed hopped and threw a one hop rocket to the plate that did not even give Ewing a chance to slide.

The game stayed tied until the bottom half of the ninth inning when USC Upstate’s Chris Knauff entered to pitch his second inning of relief. Knauff came into the game in the middle of the seventh and held the Stingers scoreless until the bottom of the ninth. Knaff allowed a leadoff single to Troy Handza to start the ninth. Handza was sacrificed to second by a bunt by outfielder Benji Jackson. Knauff then loaded the bases after an infield single, a pop out to second, and a walk before facing third baseman Tom Carter with two outs. Carter looked at four consecutive balls as the game ended with Knauff walking in the winning run.

Stinger reliever Chris Culicerto received his first victory of the year as he moved his record to 1-0. Culicerto pitched brilliantly, not allowing any runs and striking out four in four innings of relief. Chris Kanuff falls to 0-1 on the season as he allowed his first run in 6.0 innings pitched this season.

Game number 2 of the doubleheader starts 30 minutes after game one concluded.