Cullowhee, N.C. – For a second consecutive day, the Samford Bulldogs scored five unanswered runs over the final third of the game against Western Carolina in the Southern Conference baseball series at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. However, unlike in Thursday's series-opener, the Catamount lead would not hold as the visitors evened the best-of-three series with a 7-4 victory on Friday evening.
 
The series will be decided in Saturday's rubber match with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina took a one-run lead in the home half of the first inning on an Immanuel Wilder RBI-single and later rallied from a one-run deficit with a solo marker coming on a Seth Graves infield groundout in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at two. The opportunistic Catamounts then capitalized on a pair of Bulldog errors to plate two in the fifth inning without the benefit of a base hit to carry a two-run, 4-2, lead into the latter stages of game two. Pascanel Ferreras scored on a wild pitch and Prater crossed home on an infield error in the frame.
 
Samford seized momentum with a four-run seventh, scoring on a pair of sacrifice flies and two soft singles before tacking on an insurance marker in the top of the ninth inning for the series-evening victory.
 
Four of WCU's six base hits were recorded by Prater (2-for-4) and Immanuel Wilder (2-for-2) in Friday's loss. Prater legged out his third triple of the season in his two-hit effort, reaching for a third time on an intentional walk, and scored three of WCU's four runs. Wilder reached base four times with a pair of singles and two HBPs.
 
Bryson Parks and Brandon Butterworth both singled with Nate Stocum plating a run on a sacrifice fly for the WCU offense which recorded four HBPs and a walk but struck out a combined nine times.
 
Starter Gavin Mortenson (2-5) was the tough-luck loser as he went toe-to-toe with reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Week Michael Ross who factored in a no-decision after exiting after 4.2 innings. Mortenson struck out four over 6.1 innings but was tagged for five earned runs on nine base hits with a walk.
 
Ross struck out four with a walk and three hit batters, surrendering four runs – only two of which were earned. Blake Bortak (3-2) scored the victory for the Bulldogs, striking out five in 4.1 innings of two-hit relief.
 
Five Bulldogs posted multi-hit games as Samford tallied 15 base hits in the win. Stephen Klein belted a second-inning, game-tying home run as a part of a 3-for-4, two RBI effort with Towns King doubling in a two-hit outing with a pair of runs driven in. Andrew Bennett (2-for-4) doubled and plated a run on one of two Bulldog sacrifice flies.
 
Game three is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Cullowhee.