Box Score

Johnson City, Tenn. - Junior infielder Cameron Blaquiere led six Catamounts with multi-hit games, blasting two home runs including an eighth-inning grand slam as Western Carolina rode the seven-run frame to a 11-6 Southern Conference series sweep clinching road victory Sunday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.

Western Carolina (15-15, 7-2 SoCon) pounded out a SoCon-high 19 hits -- one shy of the team's season-high -- on Sunday afternoon in securing its second-straight league sweep. Despite the offensive output, the Catamounts stranded a combined 11 base runners in the win.

Blaquiere collected a WCU career-high four hits in a 4-for-5 showing at the plate, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The Jacksonville, Fla., product delivered a run-scoring single in the second inning to put the Catamounts on the board before hitting his first homer of the day on a two-run shot to left center in the fourth. After doubling in the sixth, he added an exclamation point to his career-day with a grand slam home run to left center to cap the seven-run rally in the eighth inning.

Redshirt sophomore Matthew Koehler collected three singles in a 3-for-5 showing, while senior Nobu Suzuki reached four times to extend his streak to 14-straight games, collecting a HBP to accompany a 3-for-3 performance. Suzuki opened WCU's eighth-inning rally with a one-out home run over the fence in left center field, and currently has a nine-game hitting streak. Junior Brett Pope doubled and homered to right in the fourth inning as a part of a two-hit day while Spencer Holcomb reached four times in a 2-for-3 outing including a double and two walks.

All told, the bottom third of the Catamount lineup -- Holcomb, Koehler, and Blaquiere -- finished Sunday's game 9-for-13 (.692) with two doubles and two home runs, scoring six runs while also driving in nine.

Redshirt senior Bryson Bowman extended both of his team-leading streaks with one swing in the third inning, singling through the left side to extend his reached base safely streak to 30 games -- each game WCU has played this spring -- that includes a 15-game hitting streak. Matt Smith singled on Sunday to reach for the 12th-consecutive game.

Catamount starter Brendan Nail (3-5) earned the victory, battling through seven innings Sunday. The Greensboro, N.C., native countered four walks with five strikeouts, surrendering three runs on four hits before giving way to the bullpen. Senior B.J. Nobles was the second of four pitchers to toe the rubber for WCU, striking out one in a perfect eighth inning. His classmate, Dillon Bray, finished off the game by coming on in relief in the ninth, allowing a hit but stranding the runner at first base.

Blaquiere's RBI single in the second inning put the Catamounts ahead with a three-run fourth including back-to-back homers -- a two-run shot by Blaquiere and a solo homer by Pope -- pushed the Purple & Gold ahead, 4-0. ETSU (14-15, 2-7 SoCon) got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, cashing in on a lead-off double down the leftfield line to make it 4-1 through four.

The Buccaneers cut the deficit to two in the home half of the seventh inning on a two-run homer by Blake Rowlett on his only hit of the game.

Suzuki sparked the seven-run eighth with a one-out homer as the first of four-straight Catamounts to reach. Holcomb drew a bases loaded, run-scoring walk before Koehler beat out an infield single that also resulted in a run. Blaquiere's big swing capped scoring with WCU leading 11-3 going to the bottom of the eighth inning.

ETSU got a three-run home run from Caleb Longley as a part of a four RBI day for the Bucs in the bottom of the ninth before Bray closed out the final frame for the win.

Right-hander Blake Smith (2-4) took the loss for the Buccaneers, limiting the Catamounts to four runs despite 12 hits through six innings. Smith struck out five without issuing a walk, the first of six pitchers for ETSU.

Christian Bailey led ETSU with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate while Longley added a sacrifice fly on his 1-for-3, four RBI performance. Catamount pitching limited the Bucs' top three to an 0-for-10 showing, only reaching on three walks.

Western Carolina returns to action on Tuesday evening with a road nonconference meeting with Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. The game is slated to be broadcast with a live video stream on the Big South Network with first pitch at 3:00 pm.