Cullowhee, N.C. – Sophomore Pascanel Ferreras collected a pair of extra-base hits including an eighth-inning solo home run to provide the lone tally for Western Carolina on Tuesday night as the Catamounts dropped their mountain-rivalry game to UNC Asheville 5-1 at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
UNC Asheville pitching stymied the potent Catamount offense, limiting WCU to six combined base hits including four singles. The Bulldog hurlers got help from its defense, turning a trio of double-plays with perhaps the biggest coming after WCU loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning but were turned away.
 
Ferreras finished 2-for-4 with a double and the home run, posting his second multi-hit game in his current three-game hitting streak. Junior Jordan Starkes reached base three times with a walk and a 2-for-2, two-single performance. WCU's other two hits came from senior Will Prater and classmate Daniel Walsh, with a third senior Immanuel Wilder drawing a pair of walks.
 
A first-inning double for the Bulldogs by lead-off hitter Ty Kaufman scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Corbin Lanowitz as UNCA took an early 1-0 lead that stood until the sixth inning. Along the way, WCU nearly had the equalizing marker as Wilder drove one to the fence in left-center field only to have Dominic Freeberger make a leaping grab that appeared to pull the would-be game-tying homer back and preserve the shutout.
 
In the sixth, Michael Groves drove a double to right-center that scored two to stretch the Bulldog lead to 3-0. Ferreras then belted a first-pitch solo home run over the fence in left to claw the Catamounts back to within two, 3-1. However, UNCA scratched out two runs in the top of the ninth on a run-scoring Lanowitz single and a wild pitch to provide the final tally.
 
WCU suffered its eighth loss in the last nine meetings with UNC Asheville dating back to 2015 including now three-consecutive losses in Cullowhee.
 
The first of nine Catamount pitchers to toe the rubber on Tuesday, starter Davis Mortland (1-1) took the loss after surrendering a first-inning marker, working around a pair of walks with two strikeouts. Among WCU's highlights on the mound were Eric Wallington who recorded a hitless, scoreless inning with freshman John McCormick striking out two against a walk in an inning of work. Freshman Matt Schepel made his collegiate debut, facing four batters with a hit allowed, with redshirt senior Zach Franklin striking out a pair in the ninth.
 
Bulldog reliever Zeus Ponder (1-0) scored the victory after starter Jacob Edwards was chased just shy of the qualifying minimum. Edwards struck out six over 4.1 innings, scattering three hits in keeping the Catamounts scoreless before giving way to the bullpen. Ponder, the second UNCA reliever, worked around a walk with a strikeout over 2.2 innings and limited WCU to a pair of hits. He also started the double-play when WCU had the bases loaded, throwing home for the force with the third out recorded at first base.
 
Freeberger moved from the outfield to finish the game on the mound, striking out one in an inning of hitless, scoreless relief.
 
Kaufman and second baseman Robbie Burnett both tallied a pair of hits to lead the Bulldog offense with Lanowitz collecting a pair of RBI on a sac fly and single. Groves doubled to plate a pair among UNCA's offensive highlights.
 
Western Carolina (10-11) opens a seven-game nonconference road swing this weekend by traveling to Houston, Texas, for a three-game series against the Houston Cougars (14-7) out of the American Athletic Conference, who have won three-straight. Game times are 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday with Sunday's series finale at 2 p.m. ET. Each game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).