Cullowhee, N.C. – Zach Ketterman delivered a walk-off, two-out run-scoring single through the right side in the home half of the 11th inning to set off a wild celebration at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium as Western Carolina rallied from a five-run deficit to score the extra-inning victory on Sunday, 10-9. WCU completed the three-game set sweep, winning its third-straight Southern Conference series.
 
Drew Needham bounced a lead-off double off the wall in left to start what proved to be the final frame, moving to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Tom Brosnahan to put the winning marker just 90 feet away. With the infield pulled in, Will Prater grounded out to second to bring fellow southpaw Ketterman to the plate. Ketterman then drove a 2-2 pitch through the right side to score pinch-runner Daniel Walsh home to complete the comeback and the sweep.
 
WCU's three-weekend victories over Mercer marked the first series sweep for the Catamounts in conference play and the first since the season-opening four-game sweep of Niagara. It was also WCU's first over the Bears in a three-game series, extending the squad's season-long winning streak to five straight.
 
Pascanel Ferreras belted a two-run home run as a part of a team-best 3-for-5 showing at the plate, reaching base four times in the win with three runs scored and a pair of RBI. Nate Stocum plated two in a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of walks, with Needham (2-for-3) doubling twice and seniors Immanuel Wilder and Bryson Parks both finishing 2-for-6 with Parks hitting a solo homer.
 
Ketterman (1-for-5) reached base three times with his lone hit coming on the game-winner, while Prater reached twice with a walk and a single, tying the game with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. WCU finished with 15 total hits including six for extra bases with four doubles and two home runs.
 
Making his second relief appearance of the weekend, junior Zebby Matthews (3-6) struck out a game-high seven over a five-inning effort. The Cullowhee, N.C., native scattered two hits over the five frames to score the victory. Nick Hyde matched a career-high with six strikeouts over a career-long 4.0 innings in the start, surrendering four runs on five hits. Jacob Corn and Tristen Campbell both tossed a relief inning with Campbell striking out one with a run on a hit allowed.
 
WCU (24-23, 8-7 SoCon) erased an early one-run deficit with four-straight runs between the first and fourth innings including a pair of RBI singles by Stocum and a Parks solo homer to lead 4-1 entering the fifth inning. The Bears then scored eight-straight runs including a five-run fifth and a three-spot in the sixth with Collin Price hitting a two-run homer in the fifth and a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
 
Down 9-4, the Catamounts started the climb back with a three-run home half of the sixth inning with Needham scoring on a bases-loaded double-play before Ferreras belted a two-run home run to left-center to cut the deficit to two, 9-7. In the seventh, Jordan Starkes drew a bases-loaded, pinch-hit walk to score Seth Graves before Prater lifted a sacrifice fly to left and Parks slid across home to tie the game at nine apiece.
 
Both teams stranded a runner in the ninth to force extra innings. After retiring the Bears in order with a pair of strikeouts by Matthews, WCU looked to have the game won in the home half of the 10th. Ketterman led off with a walk when two batters later, Wilder blasted a shot to left which caught the 20-foot-high wall in left for a double. Ketterman was waved around third with the would-be game-winning run but was thrown out at the plate. WCU continued to threaten with walks to Stocum, intentionally, and Graves to load the bases but a strikeout left them loaded.
 
Mercer (35-12, 9-6 SoCon) then put runners at the corners with one out in the top of the 11th inning looking to scratch out the go-ahead marker. David Burke attempted a squeeze play bunt to try and plate Treyson Hughes, but a scoop throw to the plate and tag by Brosnahan kept Mercer off the board. Matthews then ended the threat, stranding two with a strikeout to set up WCU's 11th-inning heroics.
 
Reliever Luke Sutko (2-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing the game-winning run on three hits with a strikeout against two walks. Jaxon O'Neal worked around a trio of walks in an inning and a third of hitless, scoreless relief with Jackson Kelley surrendering five runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks in three and two-thirds innings out of the bullpen. Starter Josh Harlow was chased after three innings, allowing four runs – three of which were earned – on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Price collected five RBI to lead the Bears with his two hits both leaving the ballpark on home runs with Hughes finishing with four hits in a 4-for-6 offensive output as those two combined for six of Mercer's 10 hits on the day. Bill Knight finished 1-for-4 with a double and three runs scored.
 
Western Carolina hits the road for its next five games including a midweek stop at Kennesaw State (27-21) on Wednesday before traveling to SoCon-leading Wofford (35-13, 12-3 SoCon) in Spartanburg, S.C., next weekend for a three-game league set.
 
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