Statesboro, Ga. – Georgia Southern belted a trio of home runs to account for all five of its runs while Western Carolina stranded five runners on the base paths as the Eagles claimed the best-of-three season-opening nonconference series by downing the Catamounts 5-0 on Saturday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Sunday's series finale has been bumped back to a 2:30 p.m. first pitch to attempt to dodge impending forecasted inclement weather. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with links to GS's live scoring and online audio through the Varsity Network app available at CatamountSports.com. Left-handed junior transfer
Davis Wright is slated to take the mound for the Purple & Gold.
Despite out hitting the Eagles 6-to-5 in Saturday's game two, the Catamounts had just one extra-base knock on a
Brayden Corn double while three of GS's hits left the ball yard. Meanwhile, WCU managed just four freebies on a trio of HBPs and one walk while issuing the Eagles six free passes – a HBP and five walks – to keep the base paths littered.
Corn collected his second two-hit game of opening weekend with Saturday's 2-for-4 showing at the dish, legging out his first double in a Catamount uniform. Moving back to the outfield after starting Friday's opener at first base,
Hayden Friese reached base three times with a 2-for-3 day at the plate and was plunked.
The remaining two WCU hits were singles by
Mason Holton to open the game in the lead-off spot of the first inning and the first collegiate knock for Reagan High product
Noah Quarless who made his first career start behind the plate.
Cole Jones (0-for-2) reached twice with a walk and a HBP and freshman
Trey Spees (0-for-2) was also hit by a pitch.
All five Georgia Southern hits were spread between five different players and included the three run-producing knocks. Cade Parker broke the scoreless affair in the home half of the second with a three-run blast to produce the eventual game-winning runs. The Eagles added a pair of solo round-trippers by Josh Tate in the fifth and Sean Smith's second long fly of the year with two out in the eighth to cap the game's scoring.
Both teams hit into three double plays on Saturday that managed to thwart progress from either side offensively minus the slugging by GS on the three homers. The Catamounts had a trio of 1-2-3 frames at the plate that too slowed any comeback attempt.
Trailing by three after the second inning, three-run blast, double plays in both the fourth and fifth innings kept the Catamount offense at bay. Then in the sixth, WCU managed a pair of runners on a Quarless single and Friese reaching on an HBP but would progress no further after an inning-ending fly ball.
Corn lifted a one-out double down the right field line in the top of the seventh but was left at third after an infield ground out and a strikeout ended the inning. To cap the day, Friese led off the ninth inning with a single before the third double-play pushed the Catamounts to their final out.
Making his first start on the mound for the Catamounts,
Mason Holton (0-1) – who generally anchors third base for the Catamounts – worked around four walks with a pair of strikeouts but was tagged with the loss after surrendering the three-run homer in the second inning. Right-handed senior transfer
Evan Langston held the Eagles to a pair of hits over three relief innings in his WCU debut, while junior transfer southpaw
Owen Austin matched Holton with a pair of punchouts with a run on one hit allowed out of the bullpen.
Two arms went the distance for the Eagles as Jacob Phillips (1-0) scattered four hits over 5.2 scoreless innings to earn the victory. The starter struck out two but plunked three. Brady Pendley earned the three-inning save, striking out four with one walk over 3.1 innings while limiting the Catamounts to just two hits.
The series is scheduled to conclude on Sunday afternoon with the new 2:30 p.m. start time. WCU then returns home to open a four-game homestand as USC Upstate (Feb. 18) and Big Ten foe Maryland (Feb. 21-23) come to Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
