Spartanburg, S.C. – Western Carolina jumped out to a nine-run lead over the opening third of Tuesday's nonconference road game at USC Upstate, avenging the 13-inning home defeat to the Spartans earlier this month with a decisive 13-1 victory at Harley Park. WCU and Upstate split the two regular-season midweek meetings for a second-straight season.
WCU got home runs from
Pascanel Ferreras,
Zach Ketterman, and
Drew Needham, with
Cole Jones staying hot at the dish with a bases-loaded, three-run double as the Catamounts raced out to a 13-0 lead before Upstate got on the board in the seventh inning.
Ketterman belted a two-run home run in the first inning for the early lead with
Nate Stocum doubling home
Kyle Harbison to start a five-run second.
Jordan Starkes delivered a two-run single and was aboard for the Ferreras two-run shot as WCU led 7-0 through two. In the third inning, Needham homered to right field for the 9-0 lead a third of the way through.
Jack Spyke drew a bases-loaded, run-scoring walk in the seventh ahead of Jones who belted a 2-2 pitch to center field to push the Catamounts to the baker's dozen, 13-0. Upstate used a bases-loaded walk to plate its only marker of the game in the home half of the seventh to cap the scoring.
WCU's 10 base knocks were spread between six players with three posting two-hit games including Ketterman (2-for-4, walk), Jones (2-for-4, 3 RBI), and Needham (2-for-4). Starkes and Ferreras both collected two RBI apiece with Starkes adding a stolen base.
Five Catamount pitchers combined to limit USC Upstate (23-15) to one run on just three base hits with a pair of doubles. Freshman
Ryan White (2-0) was credited with the victory in the planned short start – the first of his collegiate career – as the Randleman, N.C., product scattered three hits over three innings of scoreless work, working around a pair of hit batters.
Dawson Elder struck out a team-best four over 3.2 innings of hitless relief, surrendering a run with a hit batter and a walk.
Clay Cox made his WCU debut with
Carson Lowder (1.1 innings) and
Landon Henley (1.0 inning) closing out the game.
Spartan starter Caleb Costa (0-2) took the loss, surrendering five runs on three hits over an inning and a third with a strikeout against a walk. Upstate's three hits were spread between three players with Troy Hamilton (1-for-2) and Grant Sherrod (1-for-2) both collecting doubles.
Western Carolina (15-20) continues its Palmetto State tour this weekend, traveling to Charleston, S.C., for a three-game nonconference series against the College of Charleston at Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant. Each game will be broadcast on FloBaseball (paid subscription required) with live stats available through a link online at CatamountSports.com.
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