Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Freshman left-hander Brendan Nail limited Holy Cross to one run coming in the top of the first inning as Western Carolina closed out the four-game, nonconference series with a 3-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Nail (1-0) scattered five hits through seven innings on the mound, surrendering just one extra base hit in recording his first collegiate victory. The Greensboro, N.C., product countered a pair of walks with two strikeouts in helping the Catamounts move back to .500 on the season at 6-6.

Set-up man junior Colton Davis worked around a walk with a strikeout in tossing the eighth inning with senior closer Tyler Powell fanning one in working a perfect ninth inning to tally his second save of the weekend and of the season.

Making just his second appearance in the starting lineup as the designated hitter, junior Reece Strong paced the Catamount lineup offensively with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate with two singles and a double, driving in a pair of runs and scoring once.

His older brother, Bradley Strong, singled in the first inning to extend his career-long hitting streak to 26-straight games. In addition to the Strong's, three other Catamounts recorded one-hit games. Moving into the lead-off spot, sophomore Matt Smith doubled while both Danny Bermudez and Brett Pope singled in the win. Pope scored two of WCU's three runs on the day.

Holy Cross took the lead in the top of the first inning as Josh Hassell singled up the middle to start the one-run frame. A walk to Nick Lovullo and a single by Evan Ocello loaded the bases for the Crusaders with nobody out. Jack St. Clair then grounded out to short to plate the run on the first out. WCU then managed to get a force out at the plate and one on a tap back to the mound to limit the scoring.

In the bottom of the second inning, WCU seized the lead with a two-run rally. Freshman Brett Pope drew a lead-off walk before taking second on a steal. Reece Strong then delivered a single up the middle to bring Pope home to tie the game at one. With Strong aboard at first, Smith belted a run-scoring double to center field to give the Catamounts the 2-1 lead.

Western Carolina added an insurance run in the seventh, again spurred by Pope. The freshman from Statesville, N.C., singled to left center before another run-scoring hit by Reece Strong. The Richlands, Va., native doubled to right center to make it 3-1 in favor of the home squad.

The two-run cushion was all WCU would need as its three pitchers combined to keep the Crusaders off the board, allowing the Catamounts to win the four-game series, 3-to-1.

Holy Cross starter Zach Fox (1-3) allowed two earned runs on five hits in five innings of work, walking one with three strikeouts. Reliever Justin Finan pitched the final three frames, giving up a run on two hits with a strikeout.

Hassell paced the Crusaders with two of the team's five hits and scored the lone run. Nick Lovullo doubled as the only extra base hit on the day.

Western Carolina (6-6) opens four-straight games away from Cullowhee on Tuesday as it travels to Clinton, S.C., to face the Presbyterian Blue Hose with first pitch at 3:00 pm. The Catamounts then head to Lynchburg, Va., for three games including two against Liberty and one against Penn State next weekend.