Birmingham, Ala. – Western Carolina belted back-to-back home runs including a three-run blast by Jordan Starkes and a solo shot by James Hinson as a part of a six-run third inning as the Catamounts claimed Sunday's Southern Conference series finale with a 7-5 win over league-leading Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Cole Jones (3-for-4) and Zack Ketterman (3-for-5) both doubled in collecting three hits apiece as the Catamounts posted 10 total hits in the winning effort. Starkes and Hinson both reached twice with a walk and homers in the third inning, with Brandon Butterworth and Jack Spyke also reaching on singles.
 
Jones doubled home Ketterman in the second inning to put the Catamounts in front ahead of the big third inning that came with two outs. Butterworth opened the inning with a single but was in danger of being stranded at second base as the next two in the order flew out to the outfield. With Butterworth on second after a stolen base, Ketterman laced a double to right-center to double the score to 2-0. The Catamounts got a run-scoring single by Spyke before the consecutive homers by Starkes and Hinson for a 7-0 lead through three complete.
 
Samford (27-21, 12-6 SoCon) got on the board in the fourth with a three-run home run by Kaiden Dreier and a Jayden Davis double down the left-field line. WCU managed to strand two on base as the Bulldogs brought the game-tying run to the plate in the frame.
 
The Catamounts threatened by loading the bases in the fifth but were unable to stretch the lead and did not manage another base runner until a one-out walk by Nate Stocum in the top of the ninth with two left on base.
 
Samford closed to within two in the top of the ninth on a lead-off home run by Garrett Staton, but Carson Lowder was summonsed from the bullpen and stranded one runner with three-consecutive outs to secure the win.
 
Four pitchers combined on the winning effort for WCU with freshman Ryan White (4-0) credited with the victory after coming on in the fourth inning. The Randleman, N.C., product tossed 2.2 relief innings of scoreless, two-hit work on the mound. Gavin Mortenson worked around three walks and a pair of hit batters over 3.1 innings in the start, striking out one in holding the Bulldogs to four runs on three hits.
 
Coby Ingle worked into the ninth inning, his second frame of work, scattering four hits with just one run allowed. Lowder managed to shut the door in the ninth, striking out one in an inning of hitless, scoreless relief to earn his first collegiate save.
 
Samford starter Will Lynch (3-4) suffered the loss, tagged for all seven of WCU's runs on eight hits over 2.2 innings. Two relievers – Trey Sanders and Turner Thompson – held the Catamounts to just two hits with seven strikeouts over the final 6.1 innings.
 
Dreier (2-for-3) and Davis (2-for-5) led the Bulldog offense with a pair of hits apiece with Dreier and Staton both homering. Dreier drove in three of Samford's five runs.
 
Western Carolina (18-28, 6-11 SoCon) opens a four-game home stand to conclude the home portion of its 2023 schedule beginning Tuesday (May 9) by hosting Presbyterian in the backend of a nonconference midweek home-and-home. The Catamounts welcome The Citadel to Cullowhee this weekend for a three-game SoCon series which includes the "Whee Love Canton Day" presented by Ingles and Champion Credit Union on Saturday, May 13, and Senior Day on Sunday, May 14.
 
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