Box Score

Greensboro, N.C. - A sluggish start to Sunday's series rubber match cost Western Carolina as UNCG plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning and then held off the Catamounts, 7-4, to take the Southern Conference-opening set with a win in the rubber match. WCU was limited to just one hit through the first three innings, and fell behind 5-0 before getting on the board.

After the first inning, WCU outscored the Spartans, 4-to-3, but could not overcome the tough first inning in dropping a conference series to UNCG for the first time since 2011. For the Catamounts, the three-game series lost is just their third over the past three seasons.

Four Catamount hitters combined for WCU's nine base hits on the day with each tallying multi-hit games in the loss. Redshirt junior Kramer Ferrell stayed hot at the dish, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Classmate Reece Strong had another solid performance with a game-high three hits in a 3-for-4 performance including a double and two RBI. P> Making his first collegiate start, redshirt sophomore Jason Smith collected two hits with a pair of run-scoring doubles. The Kernersville, N.C., product finished the weekend with four hits including three doubles and five RBI. Freshman Brett Pope also had two hits on the day, reaching on a pair of singles including one on an infield bunt.

Sophomore Matt Smith had his 11-game streak of reaching base safely snapped, finishing 0-for-5.

Pitching in his hometown of Greensboro, Catamount freshman starter Brendan Nail (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in two and two-thirds innings of work. The rookie southpaw struck out two against three walks. It was just the second time in Nail's five starts that WCU failed to winJunior reliever Taylor Durand was tagged with two runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks in two relief innings. Sophomore B.J. Nobles was again impressive out of the bullpen, striking out a game-high tying four in three and a third innings of one-hit, scoreless relief.

UNCG (9-12, 2-1 SoCon) plated four runs in the first inning to set the tone for the finale. Centerfielder Zac MacAneney doubled to open the home half of the first before taking third on a steal ahead of Hunter King who walked to put two aboard. Third baseman Collin Woody plated the game's first run on a sacrifice fly to drive in MacAneneny. The next batter, Aaron Wright, then belted a two-run home run to make it 3-0 in favor of the Spartans. Eric Kalbfleisch collected a third extra base hit for the Spartans, eventually scoring on a RBI single by Tyler Long to cap the four-run rally.

Catcher Jake Kusz plated Jake Hall on a RBI single in the third inning as UNCG stretched its advantage to 5-0 before the Catamounts were able to scratch the scoreboard.

In the top of the fourth, Ferrell reached on a two-out single as the first of three-straight hits. Reece Strong singled to put two aboard before Jason Smith doubled down the left field line to break-up the shutout with WCU's first run, 5-1.

UNCG answered, though, with two runs in the home half of the fourth scoring on three singles to make it 7-1 in favor of the home squad.

The Catamounts scored twice in the sixth inning as again Ferrell, Strong and Smith collected consecutive hits with a trio of doubles to trim the deficit back to four, 7-3. Ferrell doubled into right field before Strong smashed one past the UNCG first baseman down the right field line to trade places with Ferrell at second with a run scoring. Smith then delivered his second two-base hit of the day to drive in the second run before the Spartans stopped the rally.

Junior Danny Bermudez reached on an infield error to start the eighth before Strong drove him home on a single into right field to ultimately cap scoring at 7-4. The Catamounts stranded eight runners including two in the eighth inning.

UNCG reliever Blair Betts (1-1) earned the victory after starter Michael Bates was relieved after four and a third. Betts allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work, while Bates walked one and struck out two, giving up a run on four hits with a walk. Bryant Stafford picked up his first save of the season, striking out three in an inning and a third.

Western Carolina opens a stretch where eight of its next nine games will be played at home beginning Tuesday against the Clemson Tigers (11-11). First pitch in Cullowhee is scheduled for 5:00 pm. WCU then hosts The Citadel (March 27-29) and Wofford (April 3-5) in back-to-back home SoCon weekend series before ending the stretch with a home date against the Tennessee Volunteers on April 7. The lone road game in the series is at Kennesaw State on March 31.