Greenville, S.C. – Zach Ketterman homered in consecutive plate appearances including a three-run blast to right field in the top of the eighth inning to claw sixth-seeded Western Carolina back within two runs of fourth-seeded UNCG on Friday evening at Fluor Field. However, the seven-run deficit WCU faced through the first five innings proved to be too much to overcome as the Spartans held on to advance with the 9-7 win in the 2022 Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases.
 
UNCG scored all its runs in two big innings, rebounding from a one-run deficit with a four-run second inning and then scored five in the decisive fifth inning before holding off the Catamount rally. Following Ketterman's second round-tripper of the day, WCU managed to bring the would-be game-tying run to the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings. But an inning-ending strikeout left a runner aboard in the eighth with a season-ending double-play closing Friday's contest.
 
UNCG advances into the 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday against the winner of Friday night's #8 The Citadel and #2 Mercer elimination game. WCU concludes the 2022 season at 26-31-1.
 
Ketterman collected three of WCU's 10 hits in the loss, finishing 3-for-4 with a single and two home runs with four RBI and three runs scored. Senior Will Prater (3-for-5) doubled and singled twice in his final game for the Purple & Gold, with sophomore Nate Stocum finishing 2-for-4 with a double. Senior Seth Graves also collected a double and his fourth RBI of the tournament in the second inning to give the Catamounts the early 1-0 lead.
 
UNCG (30-28) answered WCU's run-scoring second inning with a four-spot in the home half that included a Kennedy Jones home run to pull ahead 4-1 through two complete. After consecutive scoreless innings, the Catamounts worked to manufacture a run in the top of the fifth inning with Tom Brosnahan lifting a sacrifice fly to left to score Stocum to trim the Spartans' advantage in half, 4-2.
 
However, just as quickly as WCU had pulled to within two, the Spartans responded with another big inning. UNCG used an infield error, a single, and a pair of walks to load the bases and get the marker WCU scored in the top of the inning back. Then, trying to get out of his own jam, WCU reliever Zebby Matthews struck out the next two batters before back-to-back base hits plated three with a delayed steal allowed the fifth run of the frame to score giving UNCG a 9-2 lead through five complete.
 
Western Carolina's march back began in the top of the seventh inning as Ketterman hit a solo home run over 400 feet to right-center field to make it 9-3. Then in the eighth, Pascanel Ferreras delivered a run-scoring single to right field that allowed Prater to cross the plate to trim the deficit to five, 9-4. With Ferreras and Bryson Parks aboard, Ketterman belted the fourth pitch of his at-bat over the fence in right to make it 9-7. The eighth inning continued with Stocum reaching on a single through the right side but was left on base by an inning-ending strikeout.
 
After working around a potential jam in the home half of the eighth with a double-play, the Catamounts had one last opportunity in the top of the ninth. Pinch hitter Caden Rector drew a lead-off walk to again bring the tying run to the plate. However, a fielder's choice putout and a game-ending double-play thwarted WCU's chances.
 
WCU redshirt senior starter Tristen Campbell (3-2) took the loss for the Catamounts after surrendering four runs on five hits over an inning and two-thirds. The Cheraw, S.C., native walked two with one strikeout before exiting in the second inning. Returning on short rest, junior Zebby Matthews helped stem the tide to keep the Catamounts in the game by striking out five against two walks over three relief innings, but the Cullowhee native was saddled with five unearned runs. Redshirt senior Jacob Corn struck out two over three innings, scattering two hits in scoreless relief.
 
UNCG starter Austin Koehn (3-2) was solid for the Spartans in earning the win, scattering nine hits over 7.2 innings. He surrendered seven runs – six earned – with a walk against four strikeouts. Hunter Shuey collected his second save of the year with an inning of hitless, scoreless relief, inducing a pair of ground balls in the final frame including the game-ending double-play.
 
Five Spartans collected multi-hit games with Pres Cavenaugh (3-for-4) doubling with two singles and Kennedy Jones (2-for-5) hitting a home run. Dallas Callahan reached base three times in a 2-for-3 effort with a walk, with Greg Hardison (2-for-4) and Hogan Windish (2-for-4) both tallying two hits with Windish driving in two.
 
 
ADDITIONAL SEASONAL NOTES:

• Sophomore infielder Pascanel Ferreras claimed WCU's 2022 seasonal Triple Crown, leading the team in batting average (.362), home runs (15), and RBI (60) … Ferreras and classmate Zach Ketterman both finished with double-digit home runs as Ketterman hit two against UNCG to give him a dozen for the year;

• Junior RHP Zebby Matthews – the only pitcher in the Southern Conference to record 100-or-more strikeouts during the regular season – struck out 12 in the conference tournament to finish the season with 122 strikeouts on the year … Matthews' 122 strikeouts rank as the THIRD-best individual total in a single-season (Jason Beverlin, 154 in 1994; Clark Maxwell, 124 in 1995);

• Matthews joined Zach Franklin as the second WCU pitcher to eclipse the 200-career strikeout mark this season, finishing the year with 211 career Ks … Franklin struck out six in his lone tournament appearance to finish his career with 214 career strikeouts.

 
 
SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
May 25 (Wednesday)
Game 1: #8 The Citadel 3, #5 ETSU 1 
Game 2: #6 Western Carolina 4, #7 VMI, 1
Game 3: #4 UNCG 7, #8 The Citadel 6
Game 4: #3 Samford 22, #6 Western Carolina 3 (7 inn.)
 
May 26 (Thursday)
No games scheduled (due to inclement weather)
 
May 27 (Friday)
Game 5: #1 Wofford 6, #4 UNCG 3
Game 6: #3 Samford 13, #2 Mercer 10
Game 7: #4 UNCG 9, #6 Western Carolina 7
Game 8: #8 The Citadel vs. #2 Mercer, 7:30 p.m. 
 
May 28 (Saturday)
Game 9: #1 Wofford vs. #3 Samford, Noon
Game 10: #4 UNCG vs. Winner Game 8, 3:30 p.m. 
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 9, 7:00 p.m.
 
May 29 (Sunday)
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, Noon
Game 13: Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser (if necessary), 40 minutes after Game 12