Cullowhee, N.C. – Wofford plated all 17 of its runs over the first five innings on Sunday including a decisive nine-run fifth as Western Carolina dropped its Southern Conference series finale rubber match to the Terriers 17-6 in seven innings at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Wofford hit a pair of two-run home runs in the first inning to take a lead it would never relinquish. With WCU down 8-1,
Drew Needham belted an RBI double to center and
Nate Stocum hit a three-run home run to right center in a four-run fourth inning for the Catamounts to claw back to within three at 8-5. However, the rally was short-lived as Wofford sent 12 batters to the plate in the nine-run fifth to push the game out of reach. Stocum doubled in the seventh and scored on a
Pascanel Ferreras sacrifice fly to provide the final tally.
Stocum (2-for-3) and
James Hinson (2-for-4) combined for four of WCU's seven hits on the day. Stocum led the Catamounts with both of his base knocks going for extra bases, while Hinson drilled his team-best 10th home run to put the Catamounts on the board in the bottom of the first inning for one of his two hits. Needham reached twice with a double and a walk with the remaining Catamount hits coming from
Kyle Harbison (1-for-3) and Saturday's hero,
Cole Jones (1-for-3).
Errors plagued the Catamounts defensively as WCU committed five miscues in the seven-inning loss.
Starter
Dylan Wheeler (2-1) suffered his first defeat of the season in the starting role, surrendering seven runs – five earned – on six hits with a pair of walks against two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. Four relievers closed the game with
Eric Wallington striking out one in an inning and a third before freshman
Adam Quincy closed the final 2.1 innings of hitless, scoreless relief.
Wofford's Matthew Marchal (7-1) earned the seven-inning, complete-game victory, scattering the seven hits while allowing six earned runs. He struck out five against two walks to score his second decision of the week, also credited with the short-start victory over Presbyterian in the midweek.
Six Terriers collected multi-hit games on Sunday with Trey Yunger finishing a team-best 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Ryan Galanie drove in three including a two-run home run in the first inning while striking out twice with David Wiley also homering in the opening frame.
Western Carolina (14-20, 4-7 SoCon) now plays 10 of its next 12 games away from Cullowhee with its next five coming in nonconference play. The stretch begins Tuesday evening as the Catamounts play the backend of a home-and-home with USC Upstate with the first pitch slated for 5 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required). The Spartans survived a ninth-inning rally by WCU to win in 13 innings in Cullowhee back on April 4.
WCU remains in the Palmetto State next weekend, visiting perennial power College of Charleston for a three-game set at Patriot's Point April 21-23.
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