Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina scored runs in six of the eight innings it took swings on Wednesday night, scoring in bunches to claim the backend of the midweek nonconference home-and-home over USC Upstate with a 15-6 victory at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The win avenged a 9-3 setback suffered on Feb. 23 against the Spartans in Spartanburg, S.C.

Western Carolina's victory also respresented No. 400 for Catamount head coach Bobby Moranda during his tenure in Cullowhee. Moranda ranks as both the longest tenured and winningest head coach in Catamount baseball history.
 
Three Catamounts collected three hits apiece to pace five with multi-hit games in Wednesday night's victory. Senior Bryson Parks reached base four times, tripling in a 3-for-4 showing with a walk to extend his reached base safely streak to 17 games to match his team-long 17-game streak to open the season. Senior Immanuel Wilder singled twice and doubled, scoring three runs in a 3-for-5 effort with freshman Brandon Butterworth tallying a career-best three hits including a double and two RBI.
 
Sophomore Nate Stocum blasted a three-run home run as a part of a 2-for-4, three-run effort while classmate Pascanel Ferreras finished 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and two runs scored. Senior Will Prater stretched his active reached base safely streak to 14, reaching twice with a two-run double in the second inning.
 
Dawson Elder (2-0) was credited with the victory as the most effective relief pitcher after starter Nick Hyde exited after working around a lead-off hit batter in a scoreless first inning. Elder, the third of nine combined pitchers used by WCU, struck out one in a 1-2-3 third after freshman JD Price made his second career appearance. Freshman Lucas Hartman struck out two in an inning of work with bullpen staples Tristen Campbell and Jacob Corn also recording strikeouts as the Catamounts struck out six total.
 
USC Upstate (27-18) jumped in front in the top of the second inning, using a solo home run by Easton Cullison and a run-scoring groundout by Cameron MacIntosh to lead 2-0 after an inning and a half. The Catamounts would seize control in the home half of the inning, though, loading the bases with consecutive one-out walks and a bunt single by Parks. Butterworth then bounced a run-scoring single to short with Cody Rech, who earned the start behind the plate, pushing across a run on a walk. Prater then delivered one of the big shots of the game with a double to left-center, scoring two with Zach Ketterman producing a run on a right-side infield groundout for a 5-2 lead after two.
 
Jordan Starkes had a productive, run-scoring ground out in the third inning before Butterworth pushed the margin to five, 7-2, with a double to right field in the home portion of the third inning. After the Spartans managed a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, WCU lit the scoreboard for four in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single by Wilder and the Stocum three-run homer to right field for an 11-4 lead.
 
The Catamounts scored solo markers in the fifth and sixth innings with Rech scampering home on a wild pitch in the fifth and Parks scoring Wilder on a triple down the right-field line to counter a two-spot scored by USC Upstate in the top of the sixth. WCU capped scoring in the home half of the seventh, plating a pair of unearned runs on an error on a dropped pop-up behind the bag at second base.
 
USC Upstate starter Trey Miller (1-4) was saddled with the loss, surrendering seven earned runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Matthew Murphy struck out three in two and a third innings of work, allowing three runs with just one earned. Derek Sivec was the fifth arm used by the Spartans, striking out two while allowing a pair of hits in an inning of work.
 
Cullison reached four times in a 2-for-2, two-walk effort and scored three of the Spartans' six runs. Troy Hamilton finished 2-for-2 with a double and pair of runs scored, driving in a run on a sacrifice fly for the visitors.
 
Western Carolina continues its four-game homestand this weekend, hosting one of the SoCon leaders as the Mercer Bears (35-9, 9-3 SoCon) come to Cullowhee for a three-game conference series this weekend at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The series opens Friday, May 6 with a 5 p.m. first pitch, followed by a 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7 start and a 1 p.m. first pitch for the finale on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8. The first two games are slated to have online audio-only broadcasts on the Catamount Sports Network with Sunday's game penciled in for an ESPN+ broadcast (paid subscription required).
 
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