Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina homered three times and twice closed to within three runs after falling behind by six over the opening two frames on Friday night, but the Catamounts were unable to overcome the strong start by UNC Greensboro as the Spartans claimed the Southern Conference series-opening slugfest 15-11 at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
WCU hit a trio of solo home runs while UNCG plated a combined seven on its two long flyballs and managed to hold the potent Catamount offense in check most of the evening in the winning effort. The Catamounts plated runs in four consecutive frames between the third and sixth, but the Spartans scored in six of the nine innings to hold on for the victory.
 
Game two of the series is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch on Saturday at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Four Catamounts posted two-hit outings on Friday with Trent Turner (2-for-5) belting a solo home to accompany a single with a pair of runs scored and Zach Ketterman (2-for-5) homering with a single to score twice. Nate Stocum (2-for-5) doubled off the fence in right field and tallied a run-scoring single while Kyle Riesselmann (2-for-6) singled twice for the Catamounts.
 
Like Ketterman in the bottom third of the lineup, Mason Holton (1-for-5) continued to produce as he drove in four runs including two on an RBI double down the third-base line. Ketterman is amidst a five-game hit streak that includes four multi-hit games with eight extra-base hits. James Hinson blasted a solo home run over the batter's eye in center field and Drew Needham legged out a double to cap WCU's extra-base hits.
 
UNCG (18-14, 6-4 SoCon) likewise saw four players post multi-hit games with Jake Ogden (3-for-6) and Aidan Brewer (3-for-5) collecting three hits apiece with Caleb Cozart (2-for-4) and Luke Jenkins (2-for-5) posting a pair of base knocks including a three-run homer by Jenkins in the sixth inning. Luke Holland (1-for-4) delivered a big swing in the fifth inning, pushing a grand slam home run just out of the reach of Riesselmann in center field for his lone hit of the evening.
 
Delayed by an hour because of rain showers across the area, UNCG wasted little time in grabbing an early lead it would never relinquish. Three batters in, the Spartans had put three men aboard with two scoring to grab the 2-0 lead after one. The Spartans lengthened their lead with a four-spot in the top of the second and carried the 6-0 advantage into the home half of the third.
 
Turner led off the third with the first of three solo home runs by the Catamounts to put WCU on the board with Hinson hitting a solo shot two batters later to make it 6-2 through three complete.
 
Trailing 7-2 going into the fourth, Ketterman gave WCU its third homer with a lead-off shot over the fence in right-center with Stocum later pushing home a second marker with an RBI single to pull the Catamounts to within three, 7-4.
 
However, UNCG loaded the bases with a walk and a pair of fortuitous infield bunts with Holland homering just to the left of the center field batter's eye that pushed the guests into double figures at 11-4.
 
Undeterred, the Catamounts responded with a three-run frame with a one-out rally ignited by Needham's double before Holton shot a two-run double down the third-base line and Kyle Harbinson delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to claw back to within four, 11-7. It was the fifth RBI over the last four games for Harbison in the nine-hole for WCU.
 
With WCU needing a shutdown inning in the sixth to continue the march forward, UNCG had other plans as the Spartans capitalized on a pair of walks with a two-out home run by Luke Jenkins to double-up the Catamounts, 14-7. In the home half, WCU saw its first five reach with a pair of hits and two walks, the second a run-scoring free pass drawn by Hayden Friese. Pinch-hitter Tafton Hensley reached on an infield error that drove in a bases-loaded run with two more coming home aided by Spartan miscues as the Catamounts again clawed back to within three, 14-11.
 
UNCG tacked on a solo insurance marker in the top of the ninth while also limiting WCU to just one base runner over the final three innings coming on a one-out walk to Friese in the eighth inning to lock down the win.
 
Starter Gavin Mortenson (2-2) was saddled with the loss after surrendering six runs – four of which were earned – on just four hits, unable to work around five walks and a hit batter despite a pair of strikeouts. Carson Lowder struck out two over an inning and a third with Cole Beverlin tossing a team-long 3.2 innings, giving up two runs while scattering six hits with a walk and a strikeout.
 
Reliever Brandon Hudson (4-0) was credited with the win for UNCG as the first arm out of the Spartan bullpen. He surrendered four runs on five hits in an inning of work after Julien Peissel tossed the first four frames, striking out two against four walks. Grant Aycock collected the three-inning save, striking out a game-high five in scoreless relief.
 
Keep track of everything related to WCU Athletics and Catamount baseball including any game day schedule changes through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).