Greensboro, N.C. – UNC Greensboro twice rallied from down a run in the latter stages of Saturday afternoon's game two against Western Carolina before outlasting the Catamounts by scoring the walk-off win with a bases-loaded HBP in the 12th inning to even the best-of-three Southern Conference-opening series at a game apiece with the 5-4 victory at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
 
The Spartans (12-11, 1-1 SoCon) used a run-scoring double by Kennedy Jones in the bottom of the eighth inning to knot the game at three apiece before Mitchell Smith lifted a two-out home run to tie the game at four in the bottom of the 10th inning.
 
In the 12th, the Spartans loaded the bases with Smith drawing a first-pitch HBP to force in the game-winning run for UNCG. After a sacrifice bunt moved the game-winning run to second base, the Catamounts intentionally walked Jones to put two aboard. WCU's bullpen then issued a bases-loading walk and a first-pitch HBP to Smith to plate the winning marker.
 
Sunday's series rubber match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch in Greensboro. The afternoon matinee is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats through StatBroadcast available online through a link at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina (10-13, 1-1 SoCon) had its chances to grab a lead in the extra frames, stranding six runners between the 10th and 12th including leaving the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning despite pushing across the go-ahead marker. Zach Ketterman delivered a sharp single to right field to plate Jack Spyke who doubled to open the frame. An HBP to pinch-hitter Drew Needham and walk to Kyle Harbison filled the base paths but WCU was unable to find an insurance marker.
 
Mitchell Smith then extended the game with a two-out, 1-0 solo home run to left center field.
 
In the 11th, Spyke drew a one-out walk but was left at first base. An inning later, consecutive singles by James Hinson and Kyle Riesselmann put two aboard but were stranded in setting up UNCG for the walk-off winner in the home half.
 
The two teams combined for 27 total base hits on Saturday with WCU posting 14 including four for extra bases with three doubles and a triple while UNCG tallied 13 base knocks, also four for extras with three doubles and Smith's homer.
 
Jordan Starkes led five Catamount hitters with multi-hit games, finishing 3-for-7 with a triple and a run scored. Jack Spyke (2-for-4) and Pascanel Ferreras (2-for-6) both doubled in two-hit efforts with Ketterman (2-for-6) and James Hinson (2-for-6) also tallying two hits with an RBI apiece. Brandon Butterworth (1-for-4) reached twice with a double and a walk.
 
Trailing 1-0 after two, the Catamounts pulled out to a 3-1 lead with solo markers in the third, fourth, and fifth innings before UNCG started its way back. Starkes tripled before being driven in by Ferreras in the third with Ketterman singling and scoring from second on a Hinson RBI single in the fourth. In the fifth inning, Ferreras led off with a double before touching home on a sacrifice fly to center by Spyke.
 
The Spartans scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a one-run game before the Kennedy Jones run-scoring knock in the eighth inning.
 
Coby Ingle (0-2) was dealt the loss as he issued an HBP to Rowan Watt to start what proved to be the final frame as WCU used seven combined pitchers that combined to issue 10 total walks with 10 strikeouts. Ingle walked and struck out one, tagged for two runs on just one base hit. Dylan Wheeler struck out two but walked five in 3.2 innings but allowed just one run on three hits in the start. Relievers Gavin Mortenson and Jonathan Todd both struck out three in 2.1 and two innings, respectively.
 
Matt Kemp (3-1) collected the win out of the bullpen, limiting WCU to two hits with three strikeouts against a pair of walks in three scoreless innings. Starter Jay Miller struck out five over five innings with Luke Thomas fanning four in a four-inning relief effort.
 
Smith paced four Spartans with multiple hits, finishing 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, and an HBP with two RBI. Watt finished 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and an HBP for the game-winning run with Jones (2-for-6) and Zack Budzik (1-for-4) both collecting doubles with Budzik adding three walks.
 
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