Greenville, S.C. – Western Carolina rallied from a five-run deficit in a prolonged fourth inning that spanned Friday night into Saturday afternoon after the game was suspended due to inclement weather. However, the Bulldogs pulled away for a 19-7 victory over the fourth-seeded Catamounts in seven innings at the 2021 Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field.
Friday's winner's bracket game between WCU and Samford was suspended due to heavy thunderstorms and rain, with Samford, the 2021 SoCon preseason favorite, leading 5-3 in the top of the fourth inning. The Bulldogs returned to the field on Saturday to secure their win with a powerful nine-run effort in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Brooks Carlson led the Bulldogs with a two-hit, four-RBI effort as Samford totaled 16 hits from nine different batters, with six players recording at least two hits. Carlson, the SoCon preseason player of the year, Sonny DiChiara, and Towns King each hit a home run, with the trio combining for nine RBIs. Max Pinto, Tyler McManus, Kaden Dreier, and Taylor Garris had two hits apiece, while third baseman Will David led the Bulldogs' hitting efforts with three.
When the game resumed Saturday, Western Carolina scored two more in the top of the fourth to tie the game at five after
Daylan Nanny's three-run blast just before the game was halted Friday night got the Catamounts on the board.
Seth Graves drove in one run with a single to center, and
Will Prater knocked in another with a groundout to knot the score.
Carlson answered with a three-run homer to give Samford the lead for good in the bottom of the frame. The following inning, Carlson drove in Dreir with an infield single, while Garris also scored on the play thanks to a Western Carolina throwing error to make it 10-5.
Western Carolina got two runs back in the top of the sixth, as
Will Prater singled to left field to score
Tom Brosnahan and knock Samford reliever Blake Bortak from the game. After Prater was thrown out at second base,
Pascanel Ferreras singled to drive in Graves as Western Carolina got back within three runs at 10-7.
Samford produced its nine-run inning in the bottom of the sixth, which put the game out of reach. King's three-run homer and Crockett's two-run single were the big blows in the inning.
Jesse McCord (4-6), who relieved Bortak with one out in the sixth, delivered in his 1 2/3 innings pitched, allowing no runs while striking out one batter to earn the win.
Catamount right-handed pitcher
Nick Hyde was tagged with the loss, falling to 2-3 on the season. The Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, native lasted 2/3 innings, giving up two hits and three runs.
Western Carolina will face top-seeded Wofford for the second time in this year's championship in an elimination game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The Catamounts defeated the Terriers 16-5 in the first game of the tournament on Thursday and will seek to repeat the winning result to advance to the championship game on Sunday.
May 27 (Thursday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 1: No. 4 Western Carolina 16, No. 1 Wofford 5
Game 2: No. 2 Samford 10, No. 3 Mercer 8
May 28 (Friday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 3: No. 1 Wofford 8, No. 3 Mercer 7
Game 4: No. 4 Western Carolina vs. No. 2 Samford, suspended
May 29 (Saturday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 4: No. 2 Samford 19, No. 4 Western Carolina 7 (7 innings)
Game 5: No. 4 Western Carolina vs. No. 1 Wofford, 5:30 p.m.
May 30 (Sunday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 6: No. 2 Samford vs. Game 5 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (If necessary), 40 minutes after the conclusion of Game 6
