Greenville, S.C. – Michigan State capitalized on a trio of Catamount errors in scoring three unearned runs while limiting the Catamounts to six hits including five singles with 14 combined strikeouts as Western Carolina dropped its second game of the First Pitch Invitational 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at Fluor Field.
Sophomore
Zach Ketterman led two Catamounts with two-hit outings, doubling in a 2-for-4 effort while senior
Seth Graves finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomores
Drew Needham and
James Hinson collected WCU's only other base hits in the loss.
Michigan State (7-6) broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of unearned runs to take a 2-0 lead through four complete. A half-inning later, the Catamounts hung their first number on the scoreboard as Graves delivered a run-scoring single to short to plate Needham to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
However, in the home half of the fifth inning, the Spartans scratched out three runs to grab a four-run, 5-1 edge through five complete.
Western Carolina mounted its best threat in the top of the eighth inning as Ketterman doubled-home
Seth Graves. With two aboard and the tying run at the plate, the Catamounts had a runner tagged out trying to come home on a wild pitch that didn't roll far enough away from the catcher with a strikeout stranding a runner 90-feet away at third base.
Catamount starter
Eric Wallington (0-2) struck out seven over four innings in suffering the loss, surrendering five total runs with just two coming across earned. The hard-throwing southpaw from Asheville worked around a pair of first-inning walks to strand the bases loaded with back-to-back strikeouts and ultimately stranding five runners during his time on the mound. Landrum, S.C., reliever
Jacob Corn struck out two over a four-inning scoreless appearance, scattering three base hits.
Nick Powers (2-1) struck out 10 over 6.0 innings to lead the Spartans and earned the win with Andrew Carson fanning three over two innings of two-hit, one-run relief, and Kyle Bischoff collecting his third save with a strikeout in a perfect ninth inning. The Spartans combined for 14 Ks without issuing a walk only allowing two freebies on a pair of hit batters.
Western Carolina (7-8) concludes play in the First Pitch Invitational on Sunday evening against the Cincinnati Bearcats, which had its Saturday evening game against Kansas canceled due to the weather. The first pitch at Fluor Field is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be streamed through the Greenville Drive's YouTube page.
