Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Furman's Matthew Quarles tossed a four-hit complete game as the Paladins finished off the three-game Southern Conference series sweep of Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon, winning 5-2 at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Quarles limited the potent Catamount lineup to just four hits with just one going for extra bases. The Paladin right-hander halted WCU's streak of five-consecutive games of finishing with double-digit hits. Beginning with Luke Robinson's RBI ground out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Quarles retired the final 15 batters consecutively. Quarles scattered four hits over nine innings in picking up his fourth victory of the season, striking out eight without issuing a walk.

Furman (14-20, 4-8 SoCon) swept its first conference series in Cullowhee since 2008. The Paladins have won 11 of the last 13 series meetings against the Catamounts. WCU suffered its first three-game SoCon series sweep since 2012.

Redshirt senior Bryson Bowman led the Catamounts on Saturday, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. The Baton, N.C., native extended his reached base safely streak to 34 games -- each game played by WCU this spring -- while also stretching his active hitting streak to 19-straight.

Senior Matt Smith reached for the 16th-straight game with a 1-for-4 showing with a fourth inning single down the third base line. He also recorded an outfield assist in gunning down a runner at home plate in the top of the eighth inning to keep the game within reach. Redshirt freshman Justin Sparks collected WCU's fourth hit of the day, singling to center field before eventually scoring in the fifth inning to make it 4-2 through five complete. Sparks matched Smith's current three-game hitting streak.

Three Catamounts -- Nobu Suzuki, Brett Pope, and Caleb Robinson -- each had their lengthy hitting streaks snapped, each finishing 0-for-4. Suzuki had reached in 17-straight games with a 12-game hit streak, while Pope and Robinson had eight-game hit streaks come to a close. Pope had recorded eight-consecutive multi-hit games, going 19-for-39 (.487) with 10 runs scored during the streak.

Catamount starter Brendan Nail (3-6) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits while battling through six innings of work. The Greensboro, N.C., native struck out three against two walks. Senior Korey Anderson made his second relief appearance of the weekend, surrendering an unearned run on three hits while working around three walks.

Offensively for the Paladins, three players posted multi-hit games. Lead-off hitter Jabari Richards finished 2-for-3 with a double, also reaching on two walks and scoring a run. Jason Costa drove in two on a 2-for-4 outing while Bret Huebner also finished 2-for-4 at the plate. Carter Grote and Sky Overton both drove in runs on sacrifice flies for the Paladins.

Western Carolina (16-18, 7-5 SoCon) prepares for a pair of nonconference games road games midweek, visiting Charlotte on Monday with a 5:00 pm first pitch before traveling to Boiling Springs to face Gardner-Webb on Wednesday at 6:00 pm.