Wilmington, N.C. –
Daniel Walsh belted a fifth-inning grand slam home run as Western Carolina clawed back to within a run in the middle stages of Sunday's series finale at UNC Wilmington. However, the Seahawks plated three runs with a two-out, seventh-inning rally and stymied the Catamount offense over the final two frames to claim the rubber match, 10-6, to win the nonconference series at Brooks Field.
Walsh (3-for-4) and freshman
Zach Ketterman (3-for-5) both collected three hits in the loss with Walsh's second home run of the season representing WCU's only extra-base hit among the nine collected on the day. Walsh added a walk to reach four times in addition to his second grand slam home run of the season -- and the fourth by the Catamount offense to date. Fifth-year senior
Luke Robinson reached three times in a 2-for-4 showing adding an HBP while
Daylan Nanny reached twice as he was both plunked and walked.
Freshman Pascanel Ferrerras was aboard three times to score twice, reaching on a walk and two HBPs in an otherwise hitless afternoon.
Justice Bigbie was held without a base hit for a second-straight game in an 0-for-4 outing but drew a fifth-inning walk to stretch his reached base safely streak to 17-straight games.
Catamount starter
Ryan Mitschele (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs, only four of which were earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts against three walks.
Corey Bright struck out two in an inning and two-thirds of scoreless, one-hit relief with
Eric Wallington fanning the only batter he faced in the sixth inning. Relievers
Davis Tyndall and
Jack Snyder each posted strikeouts as WCU had seven K's in the loss.
UNCW (5-1) capitalized on WCU's lone miscue in the field in the bottom of the first inning to take a lead it would never relinquish. The Seahawks pulled ahead 4-0 over the first two innings before Ferreras drew a one-out walk and eventually scampered home from third on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.
A third-inning home run by catcher Matt Suggs, who finished 3-for-4 with four RBI on the day, pushed the home squad's advantage to 6-1 with a run-scoring ground out an inning later staking UNCW to a 7-1 edge through four innings complete.
In the top of the fifth, the Catamounts managed to load the bases with two outs as Ketterman and Robinson reached on singles and Bigbie walked. Walsh jumped on the first pitch of his at-bat against reliever Jason Hudak, homering to left-center field to pull WCU back to within a pair, 7-5.
The Catamounts got back to within one run in the sixth inning as Ferreras was hit by a pitch to ignite a bases-loaded situation again with a wild pitch allowing him to scamper home. However, an inning-ending groundout left the game-tying run at third base.
Suggs led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double and stood at third with two outs. Taber Mongero then lifted a 1-0 pitch into right field for an RBI single to push the lead back to two before an RBI triple by lead-off man Brooks Baldwin and a run-scoring single to center by Jac Croom provided the final tally. WCU only managed one base runner – a ninth-inning walk by Walsh – over the final two frames in suffering their second-straight defeat.
UNCW's Hunter Hodges (1-0) was credited with the win as the most efficient reliever, striking out three against two walks in 3.2 hitless, scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Five Seahawk hitters posted multi-hit games led by Suggs (3-for-4), with Baldwin, Croom, Mongero, and Kip Brandenburg each tallying two hits apiece. Both of Baldwin's hits went for extra bases with a double and a triple.
Western Carolina (5-3) travels to Wake Forest and David F. Couch Ballpark on Wednesday evening in the front-end of an added nonconference home-and-home before visiting in-state foe Charlotte for a three-game set next weekend. The first pitch on Wednesday evening is scheduled for 6:00 pm with a live stream available online through ACC Network Extra.
