Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball split its Senior Day doubleheader on Saturday with the Wofford Terriers, dropping game one 20-10 in seven innings before claiming the nightcap, 8-4, in the final home game of the 2021 regular season at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
Pascanel Ferreras and Daniel Walsh both homered in the home half of the first inning as WCU jumped out to a 4-2 advantage, and the Catamounts held a 5-4 lead after two complete in game one of Saturday's twinbill. However, Wofford used a five-run third and a 10-run fourth to take control and eventually claim the series with a 20-10 victory in game one. Ferreras belted a two-run home run to give the Catamounts a lead they'd not relinquish, pulling away with a four-run seventh to salvage game three and prevent the sweep with an 8-4 victory in the home finale.
 
Junior Justice Bigbie finished the doubleheader with a team-best six hits in a 6-for-8 (.750) outing, including a pair of doubles and two RBI, scoring three runs. Senior Luke Robinson (4-for-8) and junior Will Prater (4-for-10) collected three hits on Saturday, while Ferreras finished 3-for-9 with two home runs and three RBI.
 
Catamount junior Daylan Nanny homered in game one and ignited a four-run seventh inning in game two with a run-scoring single to left-center to extend his career-long reached base safely streak to 42-straight games. The Plainfield, Ind., native continues to have reached base in every game this season, finishing Saturday's doubleheader 3-for-8.
 
Game One Recap – Wofford 20, Western Carolina 10
Wofford used a pair of big innings, including a five-run third and a 10-run fourth, to upend the Catamounts in seven innings, 20-10. Coupled with the 13-2 victory on Friday, the Terriers won the conference series.
 
With WCU leading 5-4 after a Justice Bigbie sacrifice fly in the second inning, Brennen Dorighi homered to center field to tie the game and start a six-run rally by the visitors. The five-run third pushed Wofford in front 9-5 before a Daylan Nanny solo homer to right-center field made it 9-6 through three complete. Then, the Terriers scored 10 runs on nine hits to grab a 19-6 lead.
 
Will Prater scored Tom Brosnahan in the bottom of the fourth on a run-scoring triple down the right-field line, and Justice Bigbie plated a run on a double to right-center in the fourth to make it 19-8, with the Catamounts posting solo markers in the fifth and sixth innings before Wofford closed the game with a run in the seventh to end the game after seven innings.
 
Prater finished 3-for-5 to lead four Catamounts with multiple-hit games as the squad had 11 hits in the loss. Ferreras (2-for-4), Bigbie (2-for-3), and Nanny (2-for-4) also collected multi-hits in the first game.
 
Catamount starter Tristen Campbell (2-2) was saddled with the loss, surrendering seven runs – five earned – on six hits with a strikeout to counter two walks. Davis Tyndall struck out three over two-thirds of an inning with one batter reaching on a dropped third strike, while Eric Wallington struck out two in an inning of one-hit, scoreless relief.
 
Wofford's Sam Stratton (4-4) earned the victory, tossing 2.2 innings out of the bullpen while holding WCU to four runs – only three earned – on four hits with three strikeouts against a walk.
 
The Terriers pounded out 21 hits in the series-clinching victory, with eight players collecting two or more hits. Lawson Hill drove in six in a 4-for-5 outing while Colin Davis homered twice in a 3-for-6, four-RBI performance.
 
Game Two Recap – Western Carolina 8, Wofford 4
Western Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first two innings on a Luke Robinson single and a run-scoring double by Seth Graves, only to see the Terriers hang a two-spot on the board in the top of the third inning. Pascanel Ferreras then hit his second home run of the day on a two-run, line-drive shot over the fence in left to push the Catamounts ahead, 4-2.
 
After stranding two runners in the sixth inning, Wofford closed to within a run in the top of the seventh, 4-3, before the Catamounts pulled away in the home half of the frame. Daylan Nanny lifted a two-out single into left-center to start the rally, with freshman Drew Needham driving his second double of the game to left-center to score both Luke Robinson and Nanny. Freshman Nate Stocum singled to right field to cap the rally as WCU lead 8-3 through seven complete.
 
Wofford used a two-out double by Ryan Galanie to provide the final tally as the Catamounts claimed the final game of the series, 8-4.
 
Robinson and Bigbie both finished 4-for-5 for the Catamounts in the win, with Needham tallying two RBI on two doubles in a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.
 
Freshman RHP Gavin Mortenson made his first appearance on the mound since March 26 in the starting role in game two of the doubleheader, striking out two in three innings of work. Reliever Jacob Corn (2-1) struck out six over five innings to earn the victory, limiting the Terriers to two runs – one of which was earned – on five hits. Zach Franklin worked around an error with a double-play ball in facing just three batters in the ninth inning to secure the win.
 
Wofford starter Elliot Carney (5-3) took the loss, surrendering four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts without issuing a walk. Reliever Dalton Rhadans struck out four in two innings, giving up four runs on five hits.
 
Jack Renwick led Wofford with three of the team's nine hits in a 3-for-4 effort, while Nolen Hester (2-for-5) and Colin Davis (2-for-4) posting multi-hit games for the Terriers.
 
Western Carolina (23-19, 11-11 SoCon) concludes the regular season on the road next weekend (May 21-22) by traveling to Charleston, S.C., to face The Citadel Bulldogs at Riley Park. Each game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).