Final Stats |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Sophomore right-hander B.J. Nobles fanned eight Bulldog batters Friday evening inside Hennon Stadium as Western Carolina picked up a 7-2 victory in the Southern Conference series opener against The Citadel.

Nobles, who was making just his second start of the season, pitched six solid innings as he scattered six hits and allowed just one run on a two-out solo shot in the third inning. The sophomore pitched his way out of three bases loaded jams including holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the sixth after The Citadel filled the bags with no outs.

Senior second baseman Bradley Strong and sophomore designated hitter Matt Smith led the Catamounts at the plate. Strong picked up a team-high three RBIs while also scoring a pair of runs as he went 2-for-3 at the plate. Smith was a perfect 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and a walk. Junior catcher Danny Bermudez and redshirt junior left fielder Austin Atwell each picked up RBIs as well.

The win improves WCU's record to 10-12 overall and 2-2 in SoCon action while the Bulldogs drop to 14-10 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Nobles earned the win to improve to 3-0 while The Citadel's James Reeves took the loss and fell to 4-1.

After both teams went hitless in the first inning, The Citadel seemed to be poised to score in the second. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Bulldogs with two outs but a groundout to the second baseman ended the Bulldog threat.

WCU responded in the bottom half of the inning as Bermudez and M. Smith led off with back-to-back walks. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, junior third baseman Reece Strong reached on a hit by pitch. Atwell then stepped in a sent a deep fly ball to centerfield that pushed the Bulldog defender back to the warning track. Bermudez was able to score on the sacrifice fly to give WCU an early 1-0 lead. The Citadel ended the threat with a strikeout.

The Bulldogs responded in the top of the third as Austin Mapes launched his second homerun of the season over the right field fence.

The scoring continued in the bottom of the third after freshman shortstop Brett Pope doubled off the left field fence. A fly out sent Pope to third and then B. Strong earned his first RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Pope.

The fourth was The Citadel's second bases loaded inning. The Bulldogs were able to load the bases with two outs on three walks but once again Nobles shut the door with his fifth strikeout of the game.

Nobles responded in the fifth with a five-pitch inning that featured a line-out, a groundout and a strikeout. The very next inning would be Nobles most pressure packed affair.

The Citadel opened the sixth with a single, a walk and then a bunt single that found its way between Nobles and third baseman R. Strong. After a visit by head coach Bobby Moranda, Nobles was able to entice the next Bulldog batter to lineout to second base. Nobles would then collect his seventh and eighth strikeouts of the game. The performance fired up the Catamounts who went out and plated three runs for their pitcher in the bottom half of the inning.

WCU opened the bottom half of the inning with four-straight hits. Junior right fielder Kramer Ferrell began the streak with a single to right field. B. Strong came up next and duplicated Ferrell's at bat with a single to right field as well. The next batter was Bermudez who hit a ball that streaked down the left field line. Bermudez ended up with an RBI double as Ferrell scored what would eventually be the game-winning run and B. Strong moved to third. M. Smith stepped in a ripped a two-RBI single through the right side to give WCU a 5-1 lead.

Junior left-hander Taylor Durand pitched the next two innings for the Catamounts while striking out three, walking one and giving up one run. The Bulldogs second run of the game came in the seventh after a hit by pitch, a wild pitch and a single turned into a run for The Citadel.

WCU answered in the bottom half of the seventh as B. Strong took advantage of lone error in the game. A fielding error by The Citadel's shortstop allowed Ferrell to reach with two outs. B. Strong was WCU's next batter and he launched a ball deep over the right field fence for his second long ball of the year.

After the first two Bulldog batters reached to open the ninth inning, coach Moranda called on Catamount closer Tyler Powell. Powell sent the next three Citadel batters back to the dugout as he closed out the game with a foul out, grounder and a strikeout.

The Catamounts and Bulldogs will be back in action tomorrow, March 28 at 2 pm for game two of the three-game series.