Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's offense was opportunistic on Saturday afternoon as the Catamounts claimed the three-game series over the visiting Niagara Purple Eagles, scoring 12 runs after the fourth inning including an eight-run seventh in an 18-6 victory at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
WCU capitalized on seven walks, seven hit batters, and four errors on the day, again riding the big inning to the win. The Catamounts scored runs on a wild pitch, hit by pitch, a walk, and two on a failed pick-off attempt at third base. In the eight-run seventh, WCU pounded out nine base hits including five for extra bases.
 
Trailing 3-0 after the top of the first inning as Niagara used a Dawson Bailey solo homer and a pair of run-scoring singles to light the scoreboard first, Western Carolina (3-0) rallied to take the lead for what proved to be for good with a four-spot in the home half – three runs coming after two were out in the frame. Nate Stocum delivered a run-scoring sacrifice fly before Bryson Parks tied the game with a two-run double. The Marietta, Ga., native scored the go-ahead marker by dotting home plate on a wild pitch.
 
WCU tacked on two runs with a pair of RBI groundouts in the second inning to lead 6-3. The Purple Eagles then closed back to within a run by matching with a pair of two-out runs in the top of the fourth coming on a Bailey triple down the right-field line.
 
The Catamounts stretched the lead back to three with two runs in the home half of the fifth inning as Zach Ketterman plated a run on an HBP and Will Prater drove in a marker with a walk to make it 8-5. WCU continued to stretch the margin with another two-spot in the sixth with both Tom Brosnahan and Parks scoring on an errant throw to third base.
 
Leading by five, WCU erupted with eight runs in the seventh inning that included a run-scoring triple by Stocum and RBI doubles by James Hinson, Seth Graves, and Pascanel Ferreras with Immanuel Wilder and Ketterman adding RBI singles. Brosnahan also tallied a sacrifice RBI on a fly out to center in the big frame.
 
Parks paced the four Catamounts with multi-hit games, turning in a career-best 4-for-6 outing with two doubles and two RBI, scoring four runs. Ketterman went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and an HBP while Graves and Wilder both collected two hits apiece with Graves reaching on a pair of HBPs.
 
Redshirt senior Tristen Campbell (1-0) scored the victory in relief of freshman starter Lucas Hartman who countered a walk with a strikeout in 3.2 innings of work in his collegiate debut. Campbell was strong out of the bullpen, fanning six over 4.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief. Freshman John McCormick recorded his first collegiate strikeout in working the ninth inning, allowing a run on a hit with a walk.
 
Niagara starter Evan Wilde (0-1) suffered the loss after battling through five innings. He was tagged with nine runs – seven of which were earned – on just five hits as he issued five walks and plunked seven batters. Bailey finished 2-for-5 with four RBI while DH Eli Selby tallied a pair of hits to lead the Purple Eagles.
 
The season-opening series concludes on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m., with live coverage through the Catamount Sports Network set for a 12:45 p.m., airtime with streaming audio online at CatamountSports.com. Fans can also follow the game with live stats linked on WCU's athletics website and through social media on Twitter using the handle, @CatamountBSB.