Cullowhee, N.C. – Nate Stocum homered twice in driving in six runs and Western Carolina turned a season-high four double plays as the Catamounts claimed their Southern Conference opener 8-4 over mountain-rival East Tennessee State on Friday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
WCU (11-9, 1-0 SoCon) put three pitches over the fence in Friday's winning effort before claiming the 27th out by pulling one back to end the game as freshman Elijah Smith climbed the ladder and robbed a would-be home run to propel the Catamounts to their seventh-straight victory.
 
Saturday's game two of the series has been pushed back to a 4 p.m. first pitch to avoid the lingering rain showers forecasted to pepper western North Carolina through the overnight and morning hours. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Stocum belted a two-run homer in the first inning and a three-run shot in the sixth inning in finishing 2-for-4 to lead three Catamounts with two-hit performances. The senior added a sacrifice fly on a sliding catch in right field to account for his six runs driven in. Trent Turner reached base three times with a pair of singles in a 2-for-4 showing, adding an HBP. Mason Holton also singled twice in a 2-for-4 effort in the win.
 
Jack Spyke followed  Stocum's sixth-inning round-tripper with a solo home run, while both James Hinson and Drew Needham doubled as part of WCU's five extra-base hits in the win.
 
ETSU lead-off hitter Nick Iannatone finished a game-best 3-for-4 with a double and two singles, adding a walk to reach base four times. The six remaining Buccaneer hits were scattered between six different players with Noah Webb and JD Yakubinis joining Iannatone with doubles.
 
With Turner aboard on a one-out HBP, Stocum belted his first home run in the home half of the first inning with a two-run shot that gave the Catamounts a lead they would never relinquish. The margin grew to three in the second inning as Stocum lifted a fly ball to right where Tommy Barth made a sliding stab to take away a would-be base hit but allowed Holton to tag and score from third on the sacrifice fly.
 
ETSU (14-7, 0-1 SoCon) got on the board in the top of the third inning as Cameron Sisneros grounded out to the right-side plate Ashton King to make it 3-1 through three complete.
 
The Bucs cashed in a lead-off Sisneros walk in the top of the sixth inning as four freebies – a trio of walks and a hit batter – accounted for a marker as Noah Webb drew the bases-loaded one-out walk. However, the rally was squashed by WCU's defense with the third of four double-plays to preserve the one-run lead headed to the home half of the sixth.
 
Western Carolina stretched its lead with four, two-out insurance markers in the home half of the frame. Kyle Riesselmann and Turner both reached on two-out singles to bring RBI leader Stocum to the dish. The Raleigh, N.C., native then posted his third multi-homer game of the season with a three-run blast to right to stretch the lead to 6-2. Spkye then followed with a solo shot to right to push the Catamount lead to five, 7-2.
 
In the eighth, three-consecutive Buccaneers reached with a pair of singles sandwiched around a double as two runs scored to close to within four at 7-4 before a fourth WCU double-play helped limit the rally.
 
Kyle Harbison laid down his second sacrifice bunt of the day to squeeze home Zach Ketterman in the eighth to provide the four-run lead and send the game to the ninth.
 
With one on and two gone for ETSU, Sisneros smashed a shot to the fence in right field but Elijah Smith – a defensive sub in the top of the ninth – timed his leap and pulled the would-be two-run home run back for the third out, ending the game on the terrific defensive play.
 
Gavin Mortenson worked around three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings in the start but did not factor in the decision. First out of the bullpen, Dusty Revis (3-1) scored the victory, surrendering three runs on five hits with a trio of walks countered by a strikeout. Dante Visconti tossed a hitless, scoreless inning in the eighth with Jonathan Todd closing the ninth with a strikeout and Smith's heroics at the right-field fence.
 
ETSU freshman starter Jace Hyde (2-1) suffered his first defeat, tagged for three runs on five hits after being chased in the fifth after 4.2 innings of work. Hyde struck out three with three walks. Relievers Andrew Cotton and Landon Crumbley struck out two apiece.
 
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