Cullowhee, N.C. – Nate Stocum belted a solo home run and Zach Ketterman extended his hitting streak to nine-straight games with a two-hit effort including a three-run blast in the ninth inning, but Western Carolina was unable to string together timely hits and its late-inning rally came up short in dropping Friday's Southern Conference series opener against league-leading Samford, 6-4.
 
The two teams combined for five home runs on Friday – three by the Bulldogs including a pair of solo homers and a two-run shot while the Catamounts hit two with a solo and three-run blast.
 
Game two is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. Live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats are both available online at CatamountSports.com. Game dates and times are subject to change – check CatamountSports.com and social media (@catamounts, @catamountbsb) for any weather-related schedule alterations.
 
WCU's seven hits were spread between five players with Stocum (2-for-4) and Ketterman (2-for-4) both collecting two hits apiece. Stocum added a double to his team-best 15th home run, a mark that ranks him second in the SoCon. Ketterman posted his seventh multi-hit game amidst his current nine-game run. He drove in three in Friday's loss, pushing his active RBI streak to nine consecutive games including five multi-RBI efforts.
 
Drew Needham (1-for-2) doubled, and Kyle Harbison (1-for-4) singled among WCU's starters with Tafton Hensley delivering a pinch-hit single up the middle in the ninth inning to be aboard for Ketterman's three-run home run.
 
Three Bulldogs posted multi-hit games with Garrett Staton (2-for-3) homering as a part of reaching base four times including a pair of walks. Aaron Walton reached three times, adding a walk to a double and eight-inning solo home run while Josh Rodriguez (2-for-4) singled and doubled for the 'Dogs. Lucas Steele hit a third round-tripper for the visitors with a two-run shot in the fifth inning.
 
Staton gave Samford (25-12, 9-1 SoCon) the early lead with the game's only run through the first four innings after he led off the top of the first with a solo home run to left field. From there, pitching and defense took over.
 
WCU used a double-play to end the first and retired the Bulldogs in order in both the second and fourth. In the third, the Catamounts worked around a lead-off double to strand a Samford runner. In the bottom of the first four frames, the Bulldogs stranded two WCU doubles on base in the first and second before a 1-2-3 third and a third runner stranded after a one-out walk in the fourth.
 
Samford extended its lead in the fifth inning on consecutive extra-base hits including a Walton double and Steele's two-run home run to make it 3-0. Stocum later put the Catamounts on the board with a solo home run in the home half of the sixth to trim the deficit to two, 3-1.
 
The Bulldogs tallied solo markers in each inning in the final third of the game, pulling ahead 6-1 headed to the home half of the ninth. With Hayden Friese and the pinch-hitter Hensley aboard, Ketterman lifted a one-out, three-run home run down the right-field line just inside the foul pole to close the deficit to two. Harbison singled to bring the tying run to the plate but the Bulldogs got a second strikeout in the inning to end the game.
 
Senior Gavin Mortenson (2-3) was the tough-luck loser for WCU despite limiting the potent Bulldog lineup to three runs while scattering seven hits. The Summerfield, N.C., product countered a pair of walks with five strikeouts. Relievers Cole Beverlin and Carson Lowder combined for an inning with Ryan White tossing the final two frames, surrendering two runs – only one earned – on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
 
Samford starter Michael Ross (9-0) stayed perfect on the season after striking out nine over seven innings. Ross held the Catamounts to just one run coming on the Stocum solo homer which was one of WCU's four hits through the opening seven innings. Evan Steckmesser was touched for three runs – two earned – on two hits before Carson Lore closed the game over the final 0.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
 
The series continues Saturday afternoon before concluding with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Tickets to WCU's home games can be purchased online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
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