Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's offense erupted in the sixth inning in both ends of Friday's season-opening doubleheader as the Catamounts swept the first two games from the visiting Niagara Purple Eagles 22-3 and 17-3 at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
WCU (2-0) batted around twice in a decisive 16-run sixth inning to break a 2-2 in the season-opener before rallying from a 3-2 deficit with a five-run sixth in the nightcap, scoring a combined 15 runs over the final three innings it took swings.
 
Senior Will Prater paced the Catamounts with a 6-for-9 showing offensively with a double and four RBI while redshirt junior catcher Tom Brosnahan was 3-for-5 a double and home run, starting game one before entering the second game as a defensive sub. Sophomore Pascanel Ferreras (5-for-9) also collected two extra base hits including a solo home run in the opener with senior Bryson Parks and sophomore transfer James Hinson also homering on Friday.
 
Catamount pitching combined for 25 strikeouts over the opening 18 innings of work Friday with opening-day starters, juniors Zebby Matthews and Eric Wallington both fanning seven over five-inning starts with the bullpen combining for 11 with redshirt senior Jacob Corn pacing the relievers with five Ks.
 
Game three of the four-game nonconference series against Niagara is scheduled for Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Coverage of Saturday's game will be available with live stats through CatamountSports.com and through social media using the baseball handle, @CatamountBSB.
 
Game One Recap – Western Carolina 22, Niagara 3
Western Carolina sophomore Nate Stocum delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to break a 2-2 tie and spark the Catamount offense, opening the scoring floodgates in the sixth inning as the home squad powered its way to a 22-3 victory in the season opener.
 
Niagara jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, scoring runs on an RBI double and a sacrifice fly. The lead was short-lived, though, as WCU moved Zach Ketterman around the bases, scoring on a wild pitch, before Ferreras circled the bases with a solo homer to knot the game at two after one.
 
Both teams settled into a groove after the opening frame before WCU's eruption in the sixth inning with the Catamounts pushing across 16 runs on 12 combined hits including four doubles and home runs by Brosnahan and Hinson.
 
Will Prater finished 4-for-4 in the opener to lead five Catamounts with multi-hit games with four players recording three RBI including Prater, Ferreras, Stocum, and Brosnahan.
 
Carson Lowder (1-0) scored the victory in relief of Matthews who struck out seven over 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on just four base hits. Lowder tossed two scoreless innings, limiting Niagara to three hits with a walk. Freshmen Paddy McGonigal and Austin Stephens both tossed an inning of relief, both tallying their first career strikeouts.
 
Niagara starter Jacob Bruning (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs to score, two of which crossed home plate after he left the mound. The left-hander struck out three over five-plus innings of work. He was the first of six arms used by the Purple Eagles in game one.
 
Lead-off hitter Dawson Bailey tallied three hits in a 3-for-5 effort to lead the Purple Eagles, while Cole O'Connor was 2-for-4. Josh Marchese delivered a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning for the visitors.
 
Game Two – Western Carolina 17, Niagara 3
Sixth-inning offense again propelled Western Carolina to the doubleheader sweep as the Catamounts erased a one-run, 3-2, deficit with a five-run sixth as a part of scoring 15-unanswered runs between the sixth and eighth innings to sweep the twinbill.
 
After Niagara took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, Parks' two-run home run down the left-field line in the home half pushed the Catamounts in front, 2-1. However, Niagara used a Dawson Bailey solo homer and a run-scoring single to retake the advantage, 3-2, after three complete and carried that lead into the home portion of the sixth inning.
 
WCU's rally again started with Stocum who raced home on a wild pitch, dotting home plate despite a collision with the Niagara pitcher trying to prevent the game-tying marker on a tag at the dish. James Hinson plated the go-ahead marker after Bryson Parks stole second with a throwing error enabling the runners to advance. Ultimately when the dust settled, the Catamounts had pushed across five runs and led 7-3 after six complete.
 
Ferreras drove in two of WCU's three runs in the seventh inning with the Catamounts plating seven runs in the eighth for the 17-3 victory. Ferreras and Parks both collected three hits in game two, leading five hitters with multi-hit games for WCU.
 
Jacob Corn (1-0) earned the victory in relief of starter Eric Wallington who struck out a career-best seven over 5.0 innings, surrendering three runs on three hits. Corn fanned eight over 3.0 innings of hitless, scoreless relief with Davis Tyndall striking out two in the top of the ninth as the three Catamount hurlers combined on the three-hit victory.
 
Niagara starter Marcus Cashman struck out 10 in a five-inning start, factoring in a no-decision, with reliever Kyle Smyth (0-1) – the second of six pitchers used by the Purple Eagles – suffering the loss after allowing five runs – only two of which were earned – issuing four walks with a strikeout.
 
The three Purple Eagle hits were scattered between three different hitters in game two.