Asheville, N.C. – Brandon Butterworth plated five runs with a three-hit performance including a three-run home run and the Catamounts held home-standing UNC Asheville off the scoreboard after the fourth inning as Western Carolina powered past its mountain rival 13-4 Tuesday night at Greenwood Field in the frontend of a nonconference home-and-home.
 
The Catamounts used a pair of three-run innings in the first and sixth, and rode a four-run third inning to the victory.
 
Butterworth finished 3-for-5 with a pair of run-scoring singles and a big three-run homer in the sixth inning as the Monroe, N.C., product stretched his reached base safely streak to 19-straight. Senior Jordan Starkes added a solo homer in a second three-hit effort for the Catamounts, finishing with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs.
 
Zach Ketterman (2-for-5) tripled with two RBI in stretching his reached base safely streak to 10, while James Hinson (2-for-5) tallied a pair of hits including his second triple of the season to cap the four Catamounts with multiple-hit outings. Jack Spyke doubled for his lone hit of the evening, reaching four times with a pair of walks and an HBP while adding an RBI sacrifice bunt as a part of two RBI. Nate Stocum also pushed his reached-base safely streak to 10, drawing a pair of walks.
 
Ketterman tripled home the game's first runs in the top of the first inning with Spyke executing an RBI sacrifice bunt as the Catamounts lead 3-0 after half an inning. UNC Asheville (18-14) answered with a solo marker in the bottom of the first inning as the Bulldogs would manage a run in each of the first four frames. Ahead 3-2 after two, Ketterman walked and eventually scampered home on a wild pitch for the 4-2 edge with Butterworth singling to center to drive in Spyke for a three-run lead. Cole Jones, who also walked in the third, scored on a passed ball and Starkes singled home Butterworth as WCU led 7-2 a third of the way through.
 
Leading 8-4 headed to the sixth, Butterworth lifted his second career home run to left with Ketterman and Spyke aboard for an 11-4 lead. Starkes homered in the top of the eighth before Butterworth capped the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth to score pinch-hitter Drew Needham who was plunked to start the inning.
 
Asheville native Eric Wallington (1-0) was credited with the victory as the sixth of eight pitchers used by the Catamounts in the game. The hard-throwing southpaw was among the most effective relievers, striking out two of the four batters he faced in an inning of hitless, scoreless relief. Dawson Elder tossed a team-long two innings in the start with a pair of strikeouts against a walk as WCU collected seven strikeouts as a team.
 
UNCA starter Cole Bates (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on three hits with a strikeout in only tossing the first inning as the Bulldogs used 11 different pitchers to navigate the nine-inning midweek affair. The eight Bulldog hits were scattered between seven different hitters with Cameron Johnson (2-for-5) posting the lone multi-hit game with a single and one of UNCA's three doubles.
 
Even with the scoring outburst against UNCA by the Purple & Gold, WCU left 13 men on base in the road win while the Catamount pitchers stranded 14 Bulldogs on the base paths. Tuesday's win halted a three-game drought for WCU in the head-to-head series with the Bulldogs and represented just the second victory in the last 10 meetings for the Catamounts against their mountain rival.
 
Western Carolina (13-18) returns home this weekend to host preseason Southern Conference favorite and defending league champion Wofford for a three-game series at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Friday's opener is scheduled for 5 p.m., with the first pitch on Saturday at 3 p.m., and the finale Sunday at 1 p.m.  All three games will have coverage through live stats at CatamountSports.com and will be streamed online on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Announced on Tuesday, the games Saturday and Sunday will also be broadcast on The CW62 (Asheville) across western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina.
 
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