Greensboro, N.C. – Nick Torres struck out seven over a strong six-inning relief effort and the Catamount offense provided the run support by scoring in seven of the nine innings on Friday evening as Western Carolina opened Southern Conference play with a 10-4 victory over UNC Greensboro at the on-campus UNCG Baseball Stadium.
 
Torres (3-1) limited the Spartans to just two base hits over his six scoreless innings, allowing just four total base runners with a walk and a fielder's choice officially reaching on the game's final out. After surrendering a two-out double in the home half of the fifth, the Woodstock, Ga., transfer buckled down and retired 10 consecutive Spartan hitters including six of his seven strikeouts, fanning the side in the eighth inning with two strikeouts looking. UNCG broke the string with a lead-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
 
Western Carolina (10-12, 1-0 SoCon) pounded out 13 base hits including a pair of doubles and a solo home run by James Hinson to lead off the ninth inning in posting its 10-run output, halting a four-game slide in the head-to-head series.
 
Kyle Harbison opened the scoring with his first of two sacrifice flies, scoring Brandon Butterworth in the second inning for the early, short-lived 1-0 lead. An infield single by UNCG knotted the game in the home half and left the teams tied at two through two. Zach Ketterman plated Pascanel Ferreras on a sacrifice fly in the third to reclaim the lead only to see the Spartans plate three on a solo home run and two-RBI single as the home squad grabbed a 4-2 lead after three complete.
 
Following Harbison's second sac fly, Ferreras doubled to left-center to score Hinson as the game was all-square at four through four.
 
In the fifth inning, Butterworth provided what ultimately proved to be the game-winning run as he singled to right field to score Jack Spyke who reached on an infield throwing error for the 5-4 lead. WCU added a run-scoring ground out by Hinson for the two-run cushion. Nate Stocum scored Jordan Starkes in the sixth before Cole Jones doubled to right-center to double the score at 8-4. Ferreras drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to give the Catamounts a five-run cushion before Hinson jumped on the first pitch of the final frame for a solo homer to right to cap scoring at 10-4.
 
Five Catamounts posted multi-hit games with Starkes finishing a team-best 3-for-5 with a walk to reach base four times in the winning effort. Butterworth likewise reached four times in a 2-for-3 effort, drawing a walk and an HBP. Jones (2-for-4) doubled, and Hinson (2-for-5) homered as a part of his two RBI effort for the Catamounts. Harbison likewise drove in two on a pair of sac flies while also reaching on a walk.
 
Kyle Riesselmann struck out two over three innings in the starting role, surrendering four runs on seven hits with three walks before giving way to Torres out of the bullpen.
 
UNCG reliever Caleb Cozart (0-2) took the loss after entering the game for starter Jake Wolf in the fourth inning. Cozart allowed four runs – only two of which were earned – on four hits with a pair of strikeouts after Wolf gave up four runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings, issuing three walks.
 
Two Spartans posted two-hit games as GC Jarman (2-for-4) and Kennedy Jones (2-for-5) led UNCG's offense. Rowan Watt and Dallas Callahan doubled for the Spartans with Dosi Jonas homering in the third inning. Bradley Bott secured a team-best two RBI for UNCG (11-11, 0-1 SoCon).
 
The conference-opening series continues Saturday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at the on-campus UNCG Baseball Stadium. The game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats through StatBroadcast available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
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