Box Score

Birmingham, Ala. - In an outing that saw pretty much everything you could possibly see in a baseball game - including a brief delay for a dog getting loose on the field - it was a late rally by the home squad that proved to be the difference maker on Sunday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Samford plated four runs in the home half of the eighth inning to erase Western Carolina's two-run advantage to claim a 16-14 victory in the Southern Conference series finale, winning the series two games to one.

Sunday's nine-inning game, which was televised on the American Sports Network, spanned four hours and 46 minutes. The two teams used a total of 15 pitchers who together threw 407 pitches and combined for a SoCon single-game record 12 hit batters, eight by the Bulldogs. All told, the teams finished with a combined 30 runs and 25 hits with six home runs - including a grand slam - while both erased six-run deficits at one point on the day.

WCU scored 14 runs on just seven base hits while the Bulldogs finished with 16 runs on 18 hits. The Catamounts left nine runners on base while Samford stranded 15 on the day.

Catamount junior outfielder Kramer Ferrell had a career day, blasting two home runs including a three-run shot and a grand slam for a career-best seven RBI to lead Western Carolina. Redshirt freshman Pierce Suttles was the only other WCU player with multiple hits, collecting a double and a solo homer in a 2-for-5, two run performance.

Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, the Catamounts knotted the game in the top of the second as freshman Spencer Holcomb collected his second home run in as many days. In a precursor to how odd the day would ultimately be, Holcomb could not get the weight off his bat prior to his plate appearance. Borrowing a teammates' lumber, the Pfafftown, N.C., native strolled to the plate and blasted a round-tripper over the fence in center field to tie the game at one. Holcomb finished with two RBI, his fourth career two-RBI outing.

But, the oddities of the evening would not end there.

Samford (28-22, 13-8 SoCon) reclaimed the lead in the home portion of the second inning with six unearned runs crossing the dish. After an error opened the frame, WCU got a pair of strikeouts from starter B.J. Nobles and was nearly out of the inning on a long foul ball that fell just out of reach of Ferrell in the right field corner. However, on the very next pitch, Bulldog right fielder Heather Quinn belted a three-run home run to start Samford's rally which ended with a 7-1 margin.

Nobles struck out four against a pair of walks and was tagged for six runs - only one of which was earned - in an inning and two thirds.

The Catamounts rallied back in the top of the third with the biggest frame of the ballgame, tallying seven runs on just three hits while capitalizing on a trio of Bulldog errors. Ferrell hit his three-run homer to centerfield to trim the deficit to three, 7-4. Freshman Brett Pope walked and eventually moved to third and scored on a Suttles double and subsequent error in the outfield, with another Bulldog miscue allowing Suttles to come home. Sophomore Matt Smith drew a run-scoring walk to bring in the game-tying run ahead of junior Danny Bermudez who was plunked for one of his three HBP's to plate the go-ahead run, 8-7.

Western Carolina (19-26, 10-11 SoCon) grabbed its game-high, six-run advantage with five runs in the top of the fifth inning. Senior Bradley Strong drew a bases loaded walk to plate the first marker of the inning with Ferrell clearing the bases with his second round-tripper of the day - and his first grand slam for the Purple & Gold - to put the Catamounts ahead, 13-7.

Samford clawed right back in the bottom of the fifth, though, with four runs to trim the WCU lead back to two, 13-11, with its 12th run scoring in the home portion of the sixth on a passed ball to make it 13-12.

Western Carolina carried its one-run edge into the eighth inning where Suttles gave the Catamounts a two-run cushion with a lead-off homer to center for a 14-12 advantage. However, the Bulldogs got four runs in the home portion of the frame including a game-tying two-run home run by Heath Quinn. Samford moved back in front after Alex Lee raced home, sliding awkwardly in at the plate on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs tacked on one additional run as Saturday's starting pitcher - and reserve infielder - Parker Curry was called upon after infielder Frankie Navarette suffered an injury on a swing. Curry smacked a RBI single up the middle to provide the final tally.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Catamounts brought the go-ahead run to the plate after a walk to Bermudez and a HBP to Strong. However, WCU could not find the late base knock it needed in dropping the finale.

The team's closers ended up as the official pitchers of record on Sunday evening. Samford's Andres Gracia (2-0) matched a season-long with three innings in relief, striking out four with one run allowed on one hit - the first and only home run the senior has allowed this season on Suttles' solo shot in the top of the eighth inning.

Catamount senior Tyler Powell (2-2) was the tough luck loser, surrendering the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning before sustaining a wrist injury on a line drive that caught him in the wrist and chest. Powell was tagged for four runs on four hits with a strikeout.

Freshmen relievers Brendan Nail and Dylan Biumi both struck out one in a combined three innings with classmate Corey Sikes tossing a frame out of the bullpen. Juniors Taylor Durand and Colton Davis combined for an inning of relief work before a fourth rookie hurler - freshman Drew Bolick - was summoned to finish the game for the injured Powell, recording the final out in the bottom of the eighth.

All told, no WCU pitcher tossed more than an inning and two-thirds on the day.

For Samford, Quinn led five Bulldogs with multi-hit games including four with three-hit outings, finishing with a team-high six RBI. T.J. Dixon finished 3-for-6 while Hunter Swiling matched Quinn with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate. Alex Lee was 3-for-4, also drawing a pair of walks.

Western Carolina has a quick turnaround, closing a stretch of four games in four days on Monday evening when it travels to Cookeville, Tenn., for a 6:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm CT contest against Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles, who took 2-of-3 from Belmont at home over the weekend, likewise had a close affair in the finale, outlasting the Bruins 11-10 on Sunday.

Monday's Projected Pitching Match-Up:
WCU - LHP Dillon Bray vs. TTU - RHP Austin Tolle