Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina split its Southern Conference baseball doubleheader with second-place Samford on Saturday, holding off the Bulldogs to score a 10-9 victory in the front-end before suffering a 5-1 loss in the nightcap at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Six Catamounts posted multi-hit games including a pair of three-hit performances by freshmen Will Prater and Justice Bigbie as WCU took the series opener, 10-9. The Catamounts used a Spencer Holcomb two-run home run to rally in front of the Bulldogs before holding off Samford in the top of the ninth inning, stranding the game-tying run at third base when the final out was recorded.

In the backend of the doubleheader, Samford freshman left-hander Samuel Strickland struck out nine in tossing a four-hit complete game. Holcomb collected half of WCU's four hits including his second home run of the doubleheader on a ninth-inning solo shot that provided the only scoring for the home squad.

Holcomb finished Saturday's doubleheader 4-for-9 with three runs scored and two home runs, driving in three to lead the Catamounts. With hits in both games, the Pfafftown, N.C., senior extended both of his career-long streaks of reaching base safely in a team seasonal-long 21-consecutive games that includes a nine-game hitting streak.

Senior Caleb Robinson doubled three times for his three hits in the doubleheader while Bigbie and Prater both collected three hits apiece, two going for extra bases for Bigbie including a home run and a double while Prater legged-out a two-base hit in the first game.

Game three -- the series rubber match -- is scheduled for a 1:00 pm first pitch on Sunday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Western Carolina will honor its seniors prior to first pitch in a special pregame ceremony beginning around 12:45 pm. Fans can follow Sunday's home finale with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network with Kyle Rush on the call, as well as through live GameTracker -- both available online through CatamountSports.com.

Game One Recap -- Western Carolina 10, Samford 9:
Spencer Holcomb capped a three-run fourth inning for the Catamounts with a two-run home run to right center field as Western Carolina rallied from an early 5-2 deficit in the series opener. WCU opened a three-run lead, 9-6, through six complete before holding off the Bulldog ninth-inning rally attempt to claim the one-run victory.

Leading by three entering the final frame, Samford used a trio of walks to load the bases, two coming following the first out of the inning. Brooks Carlson then laced a two-RBI single past Justin Sparks at first base to score two, trimming the WCU lead to one and pushing the game-tying run in the form of Troy Dixon to third base. However, freshman reliever Zach Franklin rose to the occasion, recording a strikeout looking and inducing a game-ending fly ball out to center field to strand the tying marker 90-feet away and sending the Catamounts to their third-straight SoCon victory.

The Catamount offense was consistent, scoring runs in seven of the eight innings in which it took swings in game one including a two-run bottom of the first and a three-run fourth. Will Prater and Justice Bigbie had three hits apiece and a combined three RBI while Sparks plated three on his own, finishing 2-for-5. Caleb Robinson doubled twice in his 2-for-5, two-run afternoon.

Franklin picked up his second career save, tossing two and a third relief innings while working around five walks with three strikeouts. The Marion, N.C., wiggled out of two jams in both the top of the eighth and ninth, stranding five Bulldog runners with the game hanging in the balance including leaving the bases loaded in the eighth with a strikeout and a fly ball out.

Catamount junior southpaw Tristan Baker (2-6) scored the victory, scattering 10 hits over 6.2 innings with two punchouts working against three walks and two hit batters. Baker allowed seven runs, six of which were earned.

Samford starter Cody Shelton (2-3) took the loss, chased after just 3.2 innings of work with seven runs allowed on nine base hits with three strikeouts. Four relievers combined to toss the final 4.1 innings, holding WCU to three runs on six hits with a trio of strikeouts.

Offensively for the Bulldogs, Dixon and Ayrton Schafer both drove in three runners apiece, Dixon doing so on a 3-for-3, two-walk outing while Schafer homered in a 2-for-5 showing. Samford drew eight walks with just five strikeouts in the series opener.

Game Two Recap -- Samford 5, Western Carolina 1:
Samford's Samuel Strickland silenced the Catamount offense in game two of the twin bill, limiting the Catamounts to four hits scattered over nine innings in a complete game effort to even the best-of-three series, 5-1. Strickland struck out nine with the lone blemish coming on a Spencer Holcomb ninth-inning solo home run.

In addition to Holcomb's smash to left center -- his second hit of the day -- his classmate Caleb Robinson doubled to give the Catamounts a pair of extra base hits while redshirt junior Matthew Koehler singled in a 1-for-3 performance.

WCU only managed five base runners in the night cap with just four reaching second base and only two -Holcomb on the home run and Andrew Robinson who reached on a sixth inning walk -- touching third base. Strickland retired 10-straight prior to the walk to Robinson.

While the Catamount bats were struggling to get going, Samford managed 10 total hits with four players collecting multi-hit games.

For the Catamounts, redshirt freshman starter Chase Walter battled through seven and two-thirds innings, striking out five against four walks while allowing five runs -- four of which were earned -- on 10 hits, three going for extra bases. Walter was relieved by true freshman Caleb Bishop who tossed an inning and a third of hitless, scoreless relief with a pair of strikeouts against a walk out of the bullpen.