Spartanburg, S.C. – Northwestern thwarted another solid pitching performance by Catamount starter Zebby Matthews, who struck out seven over a 6.1 inning effort but suffered his first defeat in the Purple & Gold as the Wildcats blanked Western Carolina, 4-0, in nonconference action at Harley Park.
 
Justice Bigbie reached base twice with a walk and a single while Andrew Bullock and Colin Bertsch both delivered doubles in one-hit outings as WCU's six hits were scattered between six different hitters in the loss, WCU's second shutout defeat this week – and its third scoreless outing this season.
 
Matthews (3-1) was tagged with four runs – only two of which were earned – on eight base hits with seven strikeouts. The Cullowhee, N.C., native has seven-or-more strikeouts in each of his first four starts on the mound for the Catamounts. Senior Jack Snyder faced two batters to get WCU out of the seventh inning with freshman Tristen Campbell working around a walk and a hit batter in a hitless, scoreless eighth inning of work.
 
Western Carolina put its lead-off batter on base in three of the first four innings including a Bullock double in the second, a Kitt Capell single in the third, and a Daniel Walsh base knock in the fourth. However, each time, the Catamounts were unable to produce a run. After being no-hit through the first four and a third, Northwestern had its first opportunity to light the scoreboard in the fifth inning using a one-out double and infield bunt single to put runners at the corners. However, Matthews fielded a ground ball and cut the runner off at home for the second out before tallying a strikeout to end the threat.
 
In the sixth, Northwestern grabbed the game's first run, cashing-in a pair of singles early in the inning with the game's first run scoring on a WCU infield error.
 
Bertsch delivered a pinch-hit, two-out double in the seventh but was left at second base as the Catamounts tried to answer. In the home half, the Wildcats tacked on three insurance markers with a two-RBI single by Charlie Maxwell and the third marker crossing home on a WCU error for the 4-0 edge.
 
WCU threatened in the ninth with a lead-off walk by Bigbie and a pinch-hit single by Andrew Robinson put two but the Wildcats managed to keep the Catamounts off the scoreboard in scoring the victory – their first over WCU in the all-time head-to-head series.
 
Northwestern starter Mike Doherty (1-0) earned the victory, striking out five over six innings of four-hit work on the mound, only issuing one walk. Sam Lawrence worked around the only walk issued by the Wildcats on the day in two innings of hitless, scoreless relief in the seventh and eighth while Josh Levy only gave up one hit in an inning of work in the top of the ninth.
 
Outfielder David Dunn (2-for-4) and shortstop Evan Minarovic (2-for-3) both collected two hits for Northwestern while Maxwell collected the only two RBI for the Wildcats as two additional runs scored unearned. Leo Kaplan doubled for the lone extra base hit of the game.
 
Western Carolina (7-6) returns to action later on Friday afternoon, facing USC Upstate (10-3) at their home field, Harley Park. Redshirt junior Chase Walter is slated to take the hill for the Catamounts.