Cullowhee, N.C. – Eleven proved to be the pivotal number on Friday as Western Carolina dropped its Southern Conference divisional series doubleheader against Mercer at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
The Bears rode an 11-run fourth inning to rally back from a seven-run deficit before holding of the Catamounts in an 11-9 series-opening victory before again rallying for an 11-inning victory, 8-7, in the nightcap to claim the series.
 
Freshman Pascanel Ferreras homered three times in a 5-for-11, six RBI performance in the two games to lead the Catamounts with Daniel Walsh tripling in a four-hit effort on Friday. Freshman Nate Stocum tallied a pair of hits in the series-opener including a double and a homer, finishing with three RBI.
 
Junior Daylan Nanny reached base in both games on Friday to extend his active streak to 38-consecutive games while classmate Will Prater singled in both ends of the doubleheader, stretching his reached base safely streak to 23 including an active hitting streak of 14-straight games.
 
WCU dropped to 22-16, 10-8 in SoCon play while Mercer improved to 29-17, 14-6 in league action.
 
Game One – Mercer 11, Western Carolina 9
Western Carolina jumped out to a 7-0 advantage through the first three innings in game one on Friday afternoon. However, Mercer erupted for 11 runs on 10 hits including a two-run homer run by Angelo DiSpigna in the top of the decisive fourth inning to take a lead it would never relinquish.
 
WCU got a run back with a solo homer by Pascanel Ferreras in the home portion of the fourth with the freshman driving in a ninth run for the Catamounts in the eighth inning. But, WCU could pull no closer, dropping the series-opener, 11-9.
 
Will Prater put the Catamounts on the board with a second-inning, run-scoring single ahead of Nate Stocum who belted a two-run homer to right-center to put the home squad ahead, 3-0. Daylan Nanny cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center field with Stocum plating his third run of the game with a double down the right-field line in the fourth-run third as the Catamounts grabbed the early advantage before Mercer's big inning.
 
Ferreras finished 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI to lead four Catamounts with multiple hit games with Stocum and Nanny both posting three RBI in two-hit efforts.
 
Catamount starter Zach Franklin (5-4) was the tough-luck loser, tagged for all 11 runs in Mercer's big inning. Fifth-year senior Jack Snyder struck out six over a career-long 5.2 relief effort, limiting the Bears to two hits with a walk out of the bullpen.
 
Mercer reliever Zach Turner (1-0) picked up the victory as the third arm used by the Bears with Luke Sutko scoring the two-inning save, working around a walk with a strikeout.
 
Game Two – Mercer 8, Western Carolina 7 (11 innings)
Pascanel Ferreras blasted his second home run of the game with a three-run shot over the fence in left field to push the Catamounts ahead by three, 7-4, through six complete. However, Mercer pushed across a run in the seventh and two in the top of the eighth to eventually force extra innings.
 
In the top of the 11th, Brandon Michie led-off with a double before scoring what proved to be the game-winning run on an infield single and error as the Bears outlasted WCU, 8-7.
 
Despite tallying 10 base this in the loss, the Catamounts were held without a base runner after the sixth inning. Ferreras and Walsh both tallied two hits in game two with Ferreras driving in four. Prater tallied two RBI with a third inning single.
 
WCU reliever Nick Hyde (2-1) was saddled with the loss, surrendering the unearned run on five hits while countering a pair of walks with five strikeouts. Starter Tristen Campbell struck out seven without issuing a walk in a career-long 6.0 innings, allowing four runs – only two of which were earned – on seven hits.
 
Mercer reliever Tommy Green (3-2) earned the victory, striking out five over three hitless, scoreless innings. Luke Sutko tallied his second save of the day, striking out the side in the bottom of the 11th inning.
 
Michie doubled in a 2-for-5 effort while Colby Thomas hit a pair of solo home runs as five Bears posted two-hit outings in the second game.
 
The three-game series concludes on Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).