Lexington, Va. – Rallying from an early three-run deficit, Western Carolina plated four runs in the top of the 10th inning to outlast the VMI Keydets in extra innings on Sunday afternoon, claiming the three-game Southern Conference series with an 8-5 victory at Gray-Minor Stadium. WCU scored seven-straight runs after falling behind 4-1 before VMI lit the scoreboard once with two outs in the bottom of the 10th.
Tied at four through nine innings, the Catamounts loaded the bases in the top of the 10th inning and grabbed their first lead of the day on a walk by Immanuel Wilder that scored Cody Rech for the 5-4 advantage. Jordan Starkes then plated the eventual game-winning runs on a single through the right side that scored two with Nate Stocum capping the extra-inning rally with a run-scoring single to right field for an 8-4 lead.
VMI used consecutive two-out base hits including a run-scoring double by Zac Morris to provide the final tally as Bryson Parks hauled in a fly ball to center that ended the series finale.
Pascanel Ferreras led three Catamounts with multi-hit games, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and two home runs. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native drove home three runs in the winning effort including belting the game-tying homer in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three runs. Wilder finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, reaching base five times with three walks, while Starkes also collected two hits with two RBI.
Zebby Matthews (2-6) struck out nine batters over six and two-thirds relief innings of starter Nick Hyde to score the victory. The Cullowhee, N.C., native stranded a runner at third base in the seventh inning after a lead-off triple put the go-ahead marker 90-feet away, and later worked around a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings.
Hyde allowed four runs on four hits with three strikeouts over three and a third innings in the starting role, his second start of the week.
VMI used a first-inning, two-run home run by Zac Morris to grab the early lead, 2-0, in the first inning. In the third, Ferreras trimmed the deficit back to a run with a solo shot to right-center field. The Keydets homered twice in the fourth with Will Knight belting one to left field and Cole Garrett hitting one to left-center for the 4-1 lead through four innings.
The Catamounts chipped away at the deficit in the fifth inning with Ferreras plating Zach Ketterman from second base with a double to left field. With the bases loaded, Brandon Butterworth was hit by a pitch to force home a second marker to make it 4-3 in favor of the home squad.
Ferreras then knotted the game with his second round-tripper of the day with a solo home run on the first pitch he saw in the top of the sixth inning that eventually forced extra frames.
Reliever Tyler Bradt (3-5) was saddled with the loss, surrendering four runs on just two hits with three walks and a hit batter. Will Lopez struck out five in four relief innings with starter Nathan Light limiting WCU to a run on four hits, countering a pair of walks with three strikeouts.
Garrett led four Keydets with multi-hit games in a 3-for-5 showing with Morris driving in three in a 2-for-5 offensive effort. Knight and Trey Morgan also finished with two hits in 2-for-5 efforts.
Western Carolina (20-23) opens a four-game homestand by hosting USC Upstate in the midweek at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium on Wednesday, May 4 on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) before welcoming SoCon-foe Mercer to Cullowhee next weekend, May 6-8.
