Box Score

Greensboro, N.C. - Redshirt junior Kramer Ferrell led a strong offensive explosion for Western Carolina with a three-hit outing as the Catamounts evened their best-of-three, Southern Conference-opening series with UNCG with a convincing 17-6 victory Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

Five Catamounts recorded two-or-more hits on the day with all but one WCU position player recording a base hit in the win. Also, all but one Catamount scored a run as the Catamounts matched their second-highest run production of the season.

The series rubber match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon with first pitch at 1:00 pm. The game is available on the SoCon Digital Network with live streaming video, as well as on the Catamount Sports Network with audio through CatamountSports.com.

Ferrell finished a double shy of the cycle in the win, collecting three hits including a RBI single, a run-scoring triple and a three-run home run. The Ellensburg, Wash., native reached base five times in the win, drawing a fourth inning walk and was plunked in the ninth. Senior Bradley Strong drove home two on a RBI double, finishing 2-for-5 with a pair of walks in the lead-off spot, while junior Danny Bermudez plated three in a one-hit performance with a two-base hit down the left field line in the fifth inning.

Another one of Saturday's many heroes for the Purple and Gold was redshirt sophomore Jason Smith who entered the game with a third inning pinch hit. Playing close to his hometown of Kernersville, N.C., Jason Smith finished a career-best 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI coming on his first hit of the season - a double to right center field that scored two.

Sophomore Matt Smith wasted little time in stretching his consecutive reached bases safely streak to 11 games, doubling to left center in the first inning as a part of a two-hit performance, driving in a run on a fifth-inning single up the middle. Freshman Brett Pope also collected a pair of hits while junior Reece Strong has the most interesting stat line of the day - 1-for-1 with a RBI double while reaching a combined six times including drawing five walks.

While WCU's offense found its rhythm at the plate, the Catamount pitching staff settled in as well behind the solid start of sophomore Korey Anderson (2-2). The Grayson, Ga., native tossed a career-long seven innings, scattering eight base hits while allowing five runs, four of which were earned. Anderson walked just two with a strikeout to score his second victory of the season.

Out of the bullpen, reliever Nate Williams struck out one against three walks in a one-hit, one-run inning of work, giving way to freshman Corey Sikes after a lead-off walk in the ninth. Sikes fanned two in working an otherwise hitless, scoreless inning in the final frame. The Monroe, N.C., product continued his streak of recording at least one K in each of his nine seasonal appearances.

Western Carolina (9-10, 1-1 SoCon) showed signs that had shaken off Friday night's disappointment early, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. Pope reached on a bloop double into shallow left before Matt Smith chased him around the bases to third with a sharp double to left center to put runners at second and third with one out. Bermudez then bounced a grounder to the right side allowing the game's first run to score.

The Spartans responded in the bottom of the frame, though, tallying an unearned run scored on a WCU throwing error on the would-be third out.

WCU lit the scoreboard twice in the second inning to reclaim a lead it would never relinquish. With his younger brother, Reece, and freshman Caleb Robinson aboard, Bradley Strong broke a string of back-to-back strikeouts with the two-run scoring double to left field to make it 3-1.

The Catamounts doubled their score in the third inning, again matching the inning number with the runs produced in the frame. Ferrell punched one up the middle to plate Bermudez with Jason Smith's two-RBI double heroics score the next two to make it 6-1.

UNCG got one run back in the bottom of the third on a solo homerun by Collin Woody to trim the margin to four, 6-2, only to see WCU answer with one in the top of the fourth as Bermudez scored the elder Strong on a sacrifice fly.

Western Carolina went a long way to put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs on four hits and capitalizing on a UNCG error. Matt Smith had the first of three-straight, run-producing base hits with a single up the middle with a second run allowed to score on an outfield error. Smith's hit was followed by Bermudez with a RBI double. Ferrell then got in on the act, plating a run on his first triple in the Purple & Gold uniform to make it 11-2.

After the Spartans scored twice in the sixth inning on a two-run home run, the Catamounts seemingly put the game away with a five-run top of the seventh to pull in front, 16-4. The big swing of the seventh was Ferrell's three-run home run with freshman Matthew Koehler added a RBI single to right field.

UNCG scored twice in the eighth inning as Jake Hall hit his second home of the day and pinch hitter Ryne Sigmon scored on a wild pitch. WCU later capped scoring in the ninth as Reece Strong doubled to right center to score Ferrell who reached on a HBP, providing the final tally at 17-6.

For UNCG (8-12, 1-1 SoCon), starter Brennen James (0-4) took the loss after allowing eight runs - only five of which were earned - on seven hits, striking out three against six walks. James was one of four pitchers used by the Spartans.

Three Spartans finished 2-for-4 with two hitting home runs in the loss. Woody hit a solo shot while catcher Jake Hall (2-for-4) homered twice with a solo and two-run shots for his three RBI. Zac MacAneney doubled for UNCG's only other extra base hit.

Game three is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm.