Charleston, S.C. – Hayden Friese collected a game-high three base hits to pace four with multi-hit games as all nine Catamount starters tallied base knocks as Western Carolina emphatically opened its best-of-three Southern Conference series with a 17-2 win in eight innings over The Citadel on Thursday night at Riley Park.
 
The Catamounts scored in bunches in downing the Bulldogs, pushing across three in the first inning, four in the third, three again in the sixth, and a decisive seven-run eighth, tallying 17 runs on 14 base hits. Meanwhile, two WCU pitchers combined to hold the Bulldogs to two runs on just four singles.
 
Friese (3-for-4) doubled as part of driving in a team-best four while Nate Stocum (2-for-3) drove in three runs with a double and a home run in the winning effort. Zach Ketterman (2-for-5) and Mason Holton (2-for-4) rounded out the Catamounts with multiple hits, collecting a pair of singles apiece with Holton adding a walk. Kyle Harbison (1-for-4) doubled with a pair of RBI and Drew Needham (1-for-5) blasted a three-run home run to help cap WCU's performance.
 
For the Bulldogs (15-9, 0-4 SoCon), Travis Lott finished 2-for-3 with an RBI with the remaining two hits spread between two players as both Sawyer Reeves and Aryan Patel singled as WCU pitching limited The Citadel to two runs on just four hits with four walks.
 
Western Carolina (12-11, 2-2 SoCon) wasted little time on Thursday evening, jumping in front by pushing across all the runs it would ultimately need in the top of a three-run first inning. Stocum bounced a run-scoring double down the first-base line to plate Kyle Riesselmann who reached base four times with a single and three walks. With two aboard – Stocum's double and a catcher's interference that allowed Jack Spyke to take first base – Friese hammered a double to left-center field to plate two for the 3-0 lead after half an inning.
 
The Catamounts stretched their advantage in the third, first on Nate Stocum's SoCon-lead-tying 13th home run of the season. Ketterman delivered a run-scoring single ahead of Holton who plated two with a single up the middle for the 7-0 lead heading into the home half of the third.
 
The Citadel cashed in a lead-off walk by Travis Elliott as Travis Lott delivered a two-out, run-scoring single down the left-field line to put the home squad on the scoreboard.
 
WCU poured it on in the sixth inning, loading the bases as the first three reached including a pair of walks to Kyle Harbison and Riesselmann before Trent Turner singled through the left side to put three aboard. Stocum drew an RBI walk before Spyke bounced into a run-scoring groundout. Friese then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Turner in the second three-run frame for the Catamounts.
 
In the eighth inning, WCU managed to push the game past the run rule with seven runs scoring – all with two outs in the frame. With two aboard, Friese singled through the right side to plate the first run. Drew Needham then belted one towards the Ashley River into the darkness with three markers attached to make it 14-1. Harbison laced a two-run double to right center and Riesselmann plated the final run on a single to left-center to cap scoring for the Catamounts.
 
The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning with a one-out HBP, a single, and a second hit batter. Garrett Dill then flew out to center field to bring home the second run for the home squad. Freshman reliever Griffin Guinther, though, struck out pinch-hitter Chase Loggins to end the game one inning shy of regulation.
 
Senior Gavin Mortenson (1-1) tossed seven solid innings for the Catamounts, striking out a season-high eight while scattering three hits and only surrendering one run. The Summerfield, N.C., product worked around four walks and a hit batter in limiting the Bulldogs in their home park. Guinther tossed the eighth, allowing a run on a hit with a strikeout out of the bullpen.
 
The Citadel's Sam Swygert (3-1) suffered his first defeat of the season, tagged for 10 runs – nine of which were earned – on nine hits over a five-inning start. Swygert struck out six against four walks and one HBP. Fisher Paulsen tossed a pair of hitless, scoreless relief innings with the final two Bulldog arms pitching the top of the eighth, allowing seven combined runs on five hits with a pair of walks.
 
The SoCon series continues Friday evening with game two from Riley Park in Charleston. The first pitch is scheduled for an amended time of 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available through a link online at CatamountSports.com.
 
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