Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Junior left-hander Brendan Nail struck out a career-high 12 batters on Sunday afternoon, but the Thundering Herd prevented Western Carolina from collecting a series sweep with a seven-run rally over the game's final three innings to hand the Catamounts a 10-6 setback at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Sunday's loss halts a five-game series win streak for the Catamounts against Marshall which dated back to 2008, WCU head coach Bobby Moranda's first season in Cullowhee.

Nail exited Sunday's game after the sixth inning with a combined 12 of his 18 outs recorded coming on punch outs. The Greensboro, N.C., native held Marshall to three runs -- two earned -- on three hits while issuing a trio of strikeouts in his strongest outings of the young season.

Offensively for WCU, junior catcher Spencer Holcomb collected a pair of hits and two RBI for the Catamounts, belting his second home run of the weekend in the fourth inning, a two-run shot. Holcomb was joined by seniors Nobu Suzuki (2-for-4) and J.D. Long (2-for-3), both with two singles apiece.

Redshirt sophomore Matthew Koehler drove in two with a ninth-inning double in a 1-for-3 showing at the dish, while senior Matt Smith tallied his fourth double of the weekend in a 1-for-4 performance with a first-inning RBI.

Tied at two after three complete, Holcomb followed a Caleb Robinson leadoff single with a blast over the fence in left-center field as the Catamounts pulled in front, 4-2. Marshall responded in the top of the third with an unearned run scoring after two were out to make it a one-run affair, 4-3.

The seventh inning proved to be the decisive frame as the Thundering Herd pushed across five runs on five hits including a two-RBI double by Tommy Lane and the first of two Reynaldo Pastrana home runs, a two-run blast to left field.

All told, six of Marshall's 11 hits went for extra bases including five home runs with both Pastrana and Sam Finfer hitting two round-trippers apiece. Finfer finished 3-for-4 while Pastrana drove in three on a 2-for-5 performance. Tyler Ratliff, who along with Finfer missed Friday's series opener, drove in two on a 2-for-4 outing and was matched by Leo Valenti with a pair of singles and a run scored.

Following a two-spot in the top of the ninth, the Catamounts responded in the bottom of the frame as Koehler smack a two-RBI double into right center field to eventually provide the final tally.

Reliever Jacob Breakfield (0-1) was saddled with the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits in the seventh inning with one strikeout. Jake Moebius struck out one in an inning of one-hit, scoreless relief in the eighth while Korey Anderson tossed the final frame with a pair of Ks. Combined, WCU's four pitchers struck out 16.

Marshall starter Patrick Murphy (1-0) scored the victory, limiting the potent Catamount lineup to four earned runs on six hits with a two walks against three strikeouts. Reliever Brad O'Connor, who only entered the game after an injury to Brandon Romero forced him to leave before throwing a pitch, scored the three-inning save, allowing two ninth inning runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Western Carolina (4-3) is scheduled to host mountain-rival, UNC Asheville, in the front-end of a nonconference home-and-home at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch between the Catamounts and Bulldogs is scheduled for 4:00 pm.