Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina swept both ends of Saturday's baseball doubleheader with Chicago State, scoring 10 runs over the first three innings of game one in downing the Cougars, 10-5, before outlasting the visitors, 2-1, in a pitcher's duel in the nightcap at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Coupled with Friday's win, the Catamounts claim victory in the four-game season-opening set ahead of Sunday's finale.
 
After exploding for 10 runs through the first three innings of game one, WCU (3-0) was held to just two runs over the next 15 innings by the Cougars. In fact, the Catamounts recorded just four hits over that same span – one over the final six innings in game one and just three in the nine-inning win in game two.
 
Junior Justice Bigbie tallied a team-best four hits between the two games, going 4-for-8 with a triple and three RBI including driving in the would-be game-winning run in the second game. Classmate Immanuel Wilder reached base six times between the two games, finishing 3-for-6 with each hit going for extra bases – two doubles and a triple – adding a walk and a pair of HBPs to go along with a team-high tying three RBI.
 
Also for the Catamounts, Daylan Nanny doubled twice in a 2-for-5, three-RBI showing with two walks and two HBPs in the wins while Andrew Bullock collected a double in a 2-for-5 performance, starting game one before pinch-hitting in the nightcap.
 
For Chicago State (0-3), Judah Wilbur doubled twice in a 3-for-8 showing offensively with Andy Gaytan also tallying three hits with a double, finishing 3-for-9 – both with RBIs. Infielder Richard Paulino belted a two-run home run for his lone hit of the doubleheader, adding an RBI ground out for three RBI on the day.
 
The season-opening four-game series concludes on Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 pm first pitch at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Fans can follow the game with live stats through CatamountSports.com with live updates through social media on Twitter using the handle, @Catamounts.
 
Game One – Western Carolina 10, Chicago State 5
Western Carolina scored four runs in the home half of the first and six in the third to grab a 10-2 lead a third of the way through Saturday's first game of a twin bill, riding the early offensive explosion to the 10-5 victory over Chicago State.
 
The first four hitters in the Catamount lineup reached to open the four-run first inning beginning with consecutive doubles by Immanuel Wilder and Daylan Nanny, the second plating the game's first run. Justice Bigbie plated Nanny with a single and was later scored on a single through the left side by Seth Graves to cap the four-run frame.
 
Chicago State cut the WCU lead in half in the top of the third inning on a Paulino two-run home run to left field, making it 4-2 headed to the bottom of the third inning.
 
The Catamounts responded in the home half of the third with six runs – five of which scored following a two-out error that prolonged the inning. Bullock opened the inning by legging out a hustle double to right field, scoring on a single by Daniel Walsh. Catcher Michael Goehrig reached by an error on the would-be third out to load the bases ahead of Wilder and Nanny who helped WCU cash-in on the miscue with consecutive two-RBI doubles. Bigbie capped the inning with a run-scoring triple, staking the Catamounts to a 10-2 edge a third of the way through.
 
The Cougars scored a solo marker in the fifth and two in the eighth to provide the final tally. WCU managed to strand six Chicago State base runners over the final six innings in scoring the victory.
 
Freshman Carson Lowder (1-0) was credited with the victory as the first arm in relief of starter Chase Walter who struck out seven in just four innings of work, allowing two runs on six hits with four walks. Lowder surrendered a run on two hits with a walk and his first collegiate strikeout in an inning of relief work. Freshmen Dawson Elder and Nick Hyde both tossed two relief innings with three combined strikeouts.
 
Cougar starter Brett Gregory (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing 10 runs – five unearned – on 10 hits over 2.2 innings in the start. Gregory had two walks and two strikeouts. Blake Kaplan silenced the Catamounts over the final 5.1 innings, striking out five against two walks in one-hit relief.
 
Game Two – Western Carolina 2, Chicago State 1
Justice Bigbie bounced a two-out RBI single through the middle to score Immanuel Wilder from second base as Western Carolina claimed Saturday's doubleheader nightcap, 2-1, over Chicago State. All told, Western Carolina managed just three base hits in the victory that included a pair of triples coming on consecutive at-bats in the third inning.
 
Wilder and Daylan Nanny reached via an HBP and a walk, respectively, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to set Bigbie up for his RBI heroics. The Chesapeake, Va., native then punched a 2-2 pitch over the bag at second, splitting the two Cougar middle infielders to push the Catamounts ahead.
 
Reliever Zach Franklin (1-0) then worked around a two-out single in the top of the ninth inning to secure the victory. A native of Marion, N.C., Franklin made his return to the mound after missing the bulk of 2019 with an injury. The third arm used by WCU in the second game, Franklin tossed two scoreless, one-hit innings with a strikeout.
 
Freshman Corey Bright did not factor into the decision, exiting after five solid innings in his collegiate debut, limiting the Cougars to a run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Senior Jack Snyder was perfect through two relief innings, fanning a pair to set-up Franklin in what proved to be a pitcher's duel.
 
Consecutive one-out singles by Judah Wilbur and Dalton Daily put runners at the corners for the Cougars in the first inning with visitors tallying the game's first marker on an infield groundout by Richard Paulino as Chicago State led 1-0 after one. The lead stood until the third inning when Will Prater and Immanuel Wilder raced around the bags for consecutive triples, the second knotting the game at one when Prater dotted home plate to make it 1-1 through three.
 
Neither team managed a run until the home half of the eighth – though both sides had chances to break the deadlock. Chicago State had a runner at third with two outs twice including the fourth and eighth innings, but the Catamounts managed to keep the go-ahead marker 90-feet away. WCU put its lead-off hitter aboard in the home portion of the fourth and sixth innings with free passes, but a double-play and a caught stealing, respectively, ended those opportunities.
 
For Chicago State, starter Rodny Valdes (0-1) was impressive, limiting the potent Catamount lineup to just two hits and working around four walks and two hit batters over 7.2 innings of work. He was saddled with the loss, though, as he plunked Wilder in the eighth before Bigbie's base hit off reliever J.D. Brooks who struck out one in a third of an inning with the one single allowed.