Game One - Box Score |  Game Two - Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Late inning rallies were the order of the day on Friday as Western Carolina split its senior day doubleheader with VMI in the final two games of the regular season for both squads. VMI used a six-run top of the ninth inning to spoil game one of the twin bill with an 11-6 victory before the Catamounts mirrored with a six-run, eighth inning rally in the night cap to claim the finale by the same score at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Western Carolina finished the regular season at 21-28 overall and 11-13 in the Southern Conference while VMI posted a 20-28 seasonal mark, 12-12 in the league.

WCU's win in game two of the doubleheader - in addition to Furman's 9-8 victory over The Citadel in game two of their series in Greenville, S.C. - allows the Catamounts to avoid Tuesday's opening game at the SoCon Baseball Championship. The Catamounts will be seeded seventh in next week's tournament in Charleston, S.C., playing the 9:00 am game on Wednesday morning in the first round. WCU's opening-round opponent will not be determined until after the conclusion of play around the SoCon on Saturday.

Five different Catamounts hit home runs in Friday's two-game set including three-run shots by Bradley Strong, Pierce Suttles and Jason Smith, who also reached three times on walks. Sophomore Matt Smith led the Catamounts in Friday's doubleheader with a .429 batting average, finishing 3-for-7 with three walks to reach base six times.

In addition to three hits that included a solo home run in game two, junior Danny Bermudez was strong behind the plate for the Catamounts. The Cumming, Ga., native threw out five would-be base stealers including four in the second game.

VMI had two players with three hits apiece in the two games as Jordan Tarsovich and David Geary both went 3-for-9 at the plate. Tarsovich doubled twice with Geary collecting a double with three RBI. Freshman Collin Fleischer homered twice with six runs driven in to lead the Keydets.

Prior to Friday's second game, Western Carolina honored its three members of its senior class - Jacob Hoyle, Tyler Powell and Bradley Strong - in a special pregame ceremony.

Game One Recap: VMI 11, Western Carolina 6
Western Carolina junior Kramer Ferrell broke a 5-5 tie in the home half of the eighth inning with a solo home run over the fence in right field to give the Catamounts a 6-5 lead heading to the final inning of the opening game of Friday's doubleheader. However, VMI erupted for six runs in the top of the ninth to pull away for series-clinching victory, 11-6.

WCU managed to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but was unable to chip away at the VMI advantage.

Bradley Strong gave the Catamounts the early edge in game one, belting his team-leading 10th home run of the season on a three-run shot over the fence in right. The lead would stand until a five-run fourth inning for VMI left the visitors ahead, 5-3, once the dust settled.

The Catamounts rallied to tie the game in the seventh as Matt Smith delivered a RBI single to short with a subsequent throwing error allowing him to go to second base - and a second run to cross the plate. Ferrell's heroics an inning later put WCU on the verge of evening the three-game series until VMI's big ninth inning.

Catamount senior closer Tyler Powell (2-3) took the loss in game one on the mound, recording a third of an inning in the ninth. Starter B.J. Nobles struck out five against five walks in four and two thirds on the hill, allowing five runs - three earned - on just four hits. Freshman RHP Dylan Biumi worked three and a third innings of scoreless, one-hit relief with junior Colton Davis closing out the ninth by recording the final two outs including a strikeout.

VMI reliever Josh Worthley (1-1) picked up the victory, tossing an inning and a third of one-run, one-hit relief for the Keydets. Starter Austin Heenan struck out four with three walks in six innings of work, recovering after allowing Strong's early three-run homer to hold WCU scoreless over the next five frames.

Game Two Recap: Western Carolina 11, VMI 6
Playing in his final game in Cullowhee, senior Bradley Strong delivered the game-tying RBI on a sharp single up the middle before eventually crossing the dish with the game-winning run on RBI single by redshirt freshman Pierce Suttles as the Catamounts rallied for the 11-6 victory.

All told, the Catamounts scored six runs in their final at bat to claim the win, preventing the three-game sweep by VMI.

WCU's game-winning rally was nearly cut short before it ever got started. Freshman Matthew Koehler ignited the offense by drawing a lead-off walk to give WCU its first base runner. A pop-up by the next batter almost caught Koehler off the bag for a would-be double-play. However, the throw that tried to beat Koehler's head-first slide into the bag skipped away at first base allowing the speedy rookie to jump up and race to second. The second out of the inning came on a fly ball out to center field, but moved the game-tying marker to third base.

After a pitching change, Strong then drove a single up the middle to allow Koehler to scamper home to knot the game at six. Kramer Ferrell drew a walk to move Strong to second base before Suttles drove a shot into left field allowing Strong to race in for what proved to be the game-winning run.

WCU added insurance markers as Brett Pope singled to left center to score Ferrell before Jason Smith added the exclamation point with a three-run blast over the fence in left to provide the final tally.

Suttles matched his career-high with three hits in a 3-for-5 performance including his fourth home run of the season. He collected a career-best five RBI, three coming on a third inning home run belted over the fence in left center. Pope and Smith also finished with multiple hits with Pope finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI and Smith driving home three on a 2-for-3 performance, also drawing a pair of walks.

Freshman Brendan Nail (3-3) struck out four in two innings of relief out of the bullpen to collect the win for WCU. The Greensboro, N.C., product worked around one walk and one hit for the two scoreless relief innings. Sophomore Korey Anderson matched his career-long on the mound, battling through a seven-inning outing. He allowed six runs on six hits, fanning six against six walks.

VMI reliever Jonathan Kelley (0-3) took the loss after being tagged with two runs on a hit and a walk without recording an out. Keydet starter Brandon Barbery received a no-decision, striking out five with three walks in five and a third innings of work. Barbery allowed five runs - three earned - on seven hits.

Keydet freshman Peyton Maddox had a career-day, collecting the first multi-hit game of his career with a 2-for-3 showing, scoring twice. David Geary plated two runs on a single with both Collin Fleischer and Brandon Angus both hitting two-run home runs in the four-run second inning for VMI.