Box Score

Asheville, N.C. - UNC Asheville scored in bunches including a pair of four-run and two, six-run innings to hand Western Carolina a 20-6 road defeat on Friday night in nonconference action at Greenwood Field.

WCU fell to 18-23 overall on the year while UNCA improved to 19-26. The Catamounts host the Bulldogs in the return match of the home-and-home on Saturday evening at 6:00 pm at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Coverage of the game is available through the SoCon Digital Network with live streaming video.

Western Carolina senior Bradley Strong gave the Catamounts an early, 1-0, lead with his first of two solo home runs in the road loss, belting a full-count pitch over the fence in right field for the 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. It was short-lived, though, as the Bulldogs used consecutive four-run frames to take an 8-1 lead through two complete.

The Catamounts chipped away at the deficit, plating three runs in the third inning. Freshman Matthew Koehler scampered home from third base on a wild pitch before Matt Smith drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Danny Bermudez plated one on an infield groundout to cut the deficit in half, 8-4.

Bermudez delivered an RBI single to plate Koehler in the fifth with Strong blasting his second round-tripper of the day in the top of the seventh to make it a two-run game, 8-6, at the stretch.

However, UNCA scored six runs in the both the bottom of the seventh and eighth to reclaim full control and put the game away, halting both its two-game seasonal slide and two-game drought against WCU in the head-to-head series.

Strong finished with his team-best 20th multi-hit game of the season, finishing 3-for-5 with the two home runs and a single. He added to his team-lead in RBI with two, scoring three runs. Koehler collected his third-straight, two-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of runs. The rookie outfielder also drew one of the team's three walks to reach base a combined three times.

Four Bulldogs finished with multiple hits with seven collecting two-or-more RBI. Eric Connolly led UNCA with three hits in a 3-for-4 outing with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Towles reached five times with three HBPs and a 2-for-2 performance with two singles. Tanner Bush drove home three for the Bulldogs.

In a pinch hit role, Kyle Carruthers hit a bases loaded triple for three RBI.

Catamount starter B.J. Nobles (4-3) took the loss after allowing eight runs on six hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. Freshman Brendan Nail worked around five walks with three strikeouts through four and a third out of the bullpen while Colton Davis fanned two against three walks in an inning and a third of relief action. Dillon Bray was the fifth Catamount hurler, tossing the final two thirds of an inning with a strikeout.

UNCA's Lucas Clarke (4-6) picked up the victory in relief of starter Joe Zayatz who finished just a third of an inning shy of qualifying for the win. Zayatz allowed five runs - three earned - on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts in four and two thirds innings. Clarke limited WCU to a run on a hit, striking out two with a walk in two innings on the mound. The Bulldogs' bullpen held the Catamounts without a hit over the final two and a third.