Greenville, S.C. – Western Carolina split its doubleheader at the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field on Friday, falling 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning to tournament host Michigan State before upending Kansas 5-3 with a ninth-inning rally of its own in the backend of the twin bill.
Michigan State got a walk-off, inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the Catamounts in the tournament opener. The Catamounts earned the split by plating two runs on a
Landen Morrison bases-loaded single in the top of the ninth inning to earn the win over Kansas.
Starting as the designated hitter in the second game, Morrison led the Catamounts in the doubleheader by going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
Jack Spyke finished the twin bill 4-for-8 with a double and two runs driven in with
Jordan Starkes also collecting four hits in eight trips with a two-base knock.
Brandon Butterworth legged out a pair of triples for his two hits on Friday.
Western Carolina wraps up play at the First Pitch Invitational on Saturday evening in the backend of a doubleheader with a rematch against Michigan State. Game time is 6 p.m. with
live coverage through YouTube on the Greenville Drive's channel, live audio through the Tune-In App, and live stats by Michigan State through a link at CatamountSports.com.
Game One – Michigan State 6, Western Carolina 5
Michigan State's Dillon Kark scored on an inside-the-park home run as the Spartans scored the walk-off 6-5 victory over Western Carolina in Friday's first game.
Kark lifted a long fly ball down the right-field line in the bottom of the ninth inning where Catamount right fielder
James Hinson gave chase. Hinson crashed hard into the short porch near the Pesky pole and hit the ground hard where he laid face down as Kark circled the base paths, scoring without a play. Hinson would later be helped to his feet and left the playing surface under his own power but did not play in Friday's second game.
WCU twice rallied early from 1-0 and 3-1 deficits, tying the game on
Jack Spyke's single down the right field line in the sixth inning before scoring twice in the seventh on a passed ball and a
Zach Ketterman sacrifice fly. However, the Spartans pulled back even in the eighth on a pair of RBI base hits, sending the game to the ninth tied, setting up the final sequence.
Spyke finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to lead four Catamounts with multi-hit games as WCU managed a dozen hits in the loss. Hinson (2-for-4), Starkes (2-for-5), and
Kyle Harbison (2-for-4) each collected a pair of hits with Starks and Hinson doubling.
Brandon Butterworth legged out a triple in a 1-for-4 showing.
Reliever
Nick Torres (1-1) was the tough-luck loser for the Catamounts allowing just one run on one hit in a third of an inning officially.
Kyle Riesselmann struck out four over six innings in the starting role with
Gavin Mortenson striking out one over an inning and two-thirds.
Spartan reliever Wyatt Rush (1-0) scored the victory after tossing three innings of two-run, five-hit work with four strikeouts. Kark (2-for-4) and Bryan Broecker (2-for-3) both finished with two hits with Kark driving in two.
Game Two – Western Carolina 5, Kansas 3
Landen Morrison delivered a bases-loaded, two-RBI single through the left side to score both
Pascanel Ferreras and
Jack Spyke in the top of the ninth inning as Western Carolina rallied past Kansas, 5-3.
Cole Jones plated
Nate Stocum in the top of the fourth inning for the early 1-0 lead with Morrison delivering a single up the middle and
Zach Ketterman plating Morrison on an infield groundout in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead two-thirds of the way through the game. Kansas then plated three in the home half of the seventh to knot the game at three apiece.
In the ninth, the Catamounts loaded the bases with singles by Ferreras and Spyke and a two-out walk to
Brandon Butterworth. On an 0-1 count, Morrison delivered the go-ahead runs on a two-RBI single into left putting WCU back in front. In the home half, reliever
Jonathan Todd worked around a lead-off single to get a line-drive out, a strikeout, and Ketterman tagged Collier Cranford trying to go to third base on an infield ground ball for the game's final out.
Morrison finished 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI – his best day as a Catamount – with
Jordan Starkes singling twice in a 2-for-3 effort.
Brandon Butterworth added his second triple in as many games on Friday in a 1-for-4 effort.
Dante Visconti (2-0) earned the victory on the mound in relief of starter
Matt Schepel who struck out seven against two walks in five innings of scoreless work, scattering three hits. Visconti allowed three runs on four hits over three innings with four strikeouts while
Jonathan Todd collected the save in tossing a scoreless, one-hit ninth.
Kansas reliever Stone Hewlett (0-1) took the loss after allowing the two runs in the top of the final frame coming on two hits with a strikeout. Starter Baumgartner struck out four against two walks over five innings.
The Jayhawks' eight hits were scattered between eight different players with Mike Koszewski doubling with two RBI.
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