Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina belted five home runs on Sunday afternoon to overcome an early five-run deficit as the Catamounts completed the three-game nonconference series sweep with a 7-5 victory over Eastern Kentucky at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
James Hinson homered twice for the Catamounts in the winning effort with Nate Stocum delivering the squad's fourth round-tripper of the second inning with a two-run shot that pushed WCU ahead for good. All told, five of WCU's six hits on Sunday were home runs.
 
Hinson capped a solid weekend with a pair of solo homers, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Stocum plated two with his second-inning home run with Jordan Starkes also hitting a two-run shot. Zach Ketterman circled the bases in the decisive six-run second inning on a solo homer to right-center field.
 
Kyle Riesselmann collected WCU's only other base knock, legging out an infield single in the eighth inning and adding a stolen base. Ketterman, Kyle Harbison, and Pascanel Ferreras each reached twice with a pair of walks.
 
EKU (4-8) grabbed the early advantage on a Conner Davis solo homer in the first inning before former Catamount Jalen Jones belted a three-run home run in the top of the second inning to help the Colonels jump out to the 5-0 lead after an inning and a half.
 
The Catamounts got going in the home half of the second, though, as Hinson drove a lead-off homer to right center to put the home squad on the board. With Riesselmann aboard and two out, Starkes poked one just over the fence in right-center to make it a two-run game, 5-3. Ketterman pulled WCU to within a run with his solo homer before Ferreras walked and was plated on the two-run bomb by Stocum to cap the inning with WCU ahead, 6-5.
 
Hinson provided the final tally with a solo homer in the fifth inning. Meanwhile, WCU only allowed two EKU base runners over the final seven innings to secure the victory.
 
Dante Visconti (1-0) struck out a career-best seven over five innings of one-hit, scoreless relief out of the bullpen to earn the victory for the Catamounts. The junior transfer from Florida Atlantic worked around one hit and one walk, only contending with two base runners while posting a trio of 1-2-3 innings. Carson Lowder tallied a third of a relief inning for starter Jonathan Todd who struck out one against three walks. Gavin Mortenson struck out two over the final two innings of hitless, scoreless relief to post the save.
 
EKU reliever Chase Alderman (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on two hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts. Starter Rian Yates walked three in an inning and two-thirds, surrendering four runs.
 
Jones (1-for-4) paced the Colonels with the three RBI as EKU's four hits were scattered between four players, two coming on home runs.
 
Western Carolina (5-7) plays its next four games against Power Five programs beginning Tuesday at in-state ACC-foe, North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra (paid subscription required) with the first pitch at 4:00 p.m. in Chapel Hill. This weekend, the Catamounts face both Kansas and Michigan State in tournament action at the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
 
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