‘Cats pitching for hot stretch

    With six Peach Belt Conference games remaining on their schedule, the Bobcat baseball team has its work cut out.
    GCSU is 3-3 in the last six PBC games, but hopes to carry momentum from Wednesday’s 6-2 win over the University of West Georgia into the weekend series with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
    “Overall it’s good to win one and hopefully have some momentum going into this weekend with the season – kind of – on the line,” head coach Tom Carty said. “Our guys know that it is good to play well coming into the weekend.”
    Wednesday’s game, while having no bearing within the PBC, showed glimpses of the ability that the team has felt that it has had all season.
    Sophomore lefty Clete Jessup started on the mound and did not allow a run while surrendering four hits in four innings.
    “Clete’s been a little up and down, struggling to – kind of – try and find it,” Carty said. “But he threw the ball well tonight.”
    Jessup struggled in his start last Friday in game one of the series with No. 7 Columbus State University. In 4.1 innings he allowed eight runs – six earned – on 11 hits and three walks.
    Senior righty Sean Heimpel also showed signs of rediscovering his dominant form from last season.
    A year ago, Heimpel led the Bobcats with a 3.66 ERA in 18 appearances including 11 starts. He posted a perfect 4-0 record on the season.
    However, Heimpel had a rocky start to this season. In 13 appearances he has posted an 8.19 ERA and is 2-9.
    Heimpel has shown improvement. In his last two appearances he has thrown four innings, giving up only four hits, one walk and a run.
    “We’re starting to get a little something out of (Heimpel),” Carty said. “I thought he threw well on Friday night, even in a game that we were kind of out of with Columbus State. It was an opportunity to get him out there, and I was anxious to get him out there again today, because if we’re able to take care of business in the tournament, we’re going to need more than one arm. That’s for sure.”
    Over the weekend, the Bobcats could manage only one win against Columbus, the first place team in the PBC.
    “You’re never satisfied with not winning a series,” Carty said. “Certainly – all in all – getting one (win) put us in the position that we are in for this weekend. If you don’t get one, now all of a sudden you’re looking at having to sweep to try to control your own destiny.”
    Freshman righty Eric Pettepher notched another strong start in game two of the Columbus series, Saturday.
    In his first start since recording a complete game against Francis Marion, the freshman threw seven strong innings. The Cougars managed only three runs on ten hits, as Pettepher improved to 4-3.
    “I’ve had good defense behind me,” Pettepher said. “It helps a lot that those guys are going to do what they do best. I just have to throw strikes and give us a chance. If I strikeout a couple guys then whoop-tee-do.”
    GCSU got another stellar starting pitching performance in Saturday’s second game.
    Senior lefty Shaun Monica allowed only one run and five hits in seven innings, but Columbus got to closer Michael Newman and grabbed a 5-2 victory.
    “After losing game one, and having a freshman on the mound in game two when Pettepher went out and gave a great outing, I knew that for game three we needed a great outing,” Monica said. “So I had to step it up because it was a big game for us. It sucks that it ended the way it did, but we just gotta move on to this weekend for a big series.”
    The six games remaining on the Bobcats PBC schedule are with Pembroke and Augusta State University.
    GCSU hosts Pembroke this weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday and the third game on Sunday. Pembroke enters the series with an 11-10 conference record, while the Bobcats sit at 10-11.
    “Our focus is just on Pembroke right now,” Carty said. “If we win the series against them, it puts us in a pretty good spot. If we don’t, now we’re looking for help again and that’s not a spot you want to be in.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 18 2008. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry