Cullowhee, N.C. – Davis Wright struck out a career-high nine in just under five innings of work for Western Carolina on Sunday afternoon, but visiting Rider rode a strong nine-run middle third and four total multi-run innings to claim the four-game series split, holding off the Catamounts 12-8 in the finale at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
Wright (0-1) struck out seven of the first 12 batters he faced in keeping the Broncs off the scoreboard, stranding a trio of base runners over the first three innings. Meanwhile, Trent Turner and Hayden Friese both homered in the home half of the second and third innings, respectively, as the Catamounts led 3-0 a third of the way home.
 
However, Rider scored nine unanswered runs to erase the deficit as Will Gallagher drove in two on a single in the fourth inning to whittle the deficit to just one through four complete. In the fifth, three straight Broncs reached base with a double, game-tying single, and a go-ahead two-run homer by Charley Magoulic as the visitors led 5-3 after five innings.
 
Rider (4-3) tacked on a five-spot in the top of the sixth inning as Joe Tiroly collected his third of four extra-base hits on a three-run home run and catcher Nick Shuet laced an RBI single to right to put the Broncs ahead, 9-3. WCU responded in the home half of the sixth as three-straight batters reaching base to score a run. Cole Jones drew a one-out walk before taking third on a single by Turner. Trey Spees then belted a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center field to pull WCU back within four, 9-5.
 
Western Carolina's would-be rally continued after the stretch after reliever Owen Austin struck out the side in the top of the seventh. Elijah Smith singled and Mason Holton doubled off the fence in center to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Friese coaxed a walk to load the bases before Corn singled inside the third-base bag to score two, slicing the deficit to three, 9-6.
 
The rally was short-lived, though, as Rider denied the Catamounts another big inning with a ground out, a fielder's choice out at the plate, and a running fly-ball catch to end the frame.
 
The Broncs tacked on all the insurance they would need in the top of the eighth inning with Tiroly's second long-ball of the day on a solo shot and Griffin Puvel plating two on a single to cap the three-run inning and a 12-6 lead.
 
A line-drive double-play helped turn the Catamounts away in the eighth, though Brayden Corn collected two more RBI with a two-run home run that provided the final tally. Turner laced a two-out single through the left side, but a strikeout ended the game.
 
Corn led three Catamounts with multi-hit games as his ninth inning homer was the first of his WCU career, coming as part of a 3-for-5 effort with a game-high tying four RBI. He also stole his team-leading eighth base of the season. Turner also homered with a solo shot that put WCU on the board in the second inning, adding two singles to finish 3-for-5 on the day. Holton (2-for-4) reached base four times with a double, stolen base, and three runs scored, while Trey Spees (1-for-5) also legged out a two-base hit with a run attached for WCU.
 
Hayden Friese extended both his hitting and reached base safely streaks with his third home run of the season on a two-run shot in the third inning that handed WCU a 3-0 lead. He later walked to reach base twice in the loss, as did catcher Noah Quarless who doubled in the fourth. Friese carries a 12-game hitting streak and a 21-game reached base safely streak into the week.
 
Tiroly finished 4-for-5 with two doubles and a pair of home runs to lead Rider, which collected 17 base hits, with six Broncs posting multi-hit games. Magoulic homered with two RBI in a 2-for-4, four runs scored effort. Kyle Neri doubled in a two-hit outing, with Shuet, Puvel, and Gallagher each collecting two hits in the win.
 
Wright took the loss for Western Carolina with five earned runs allowed on nine hits with the nine strikeouts without a walk. Shane Huntsberger successfully ended the fifth inning but was eventually touched for four runs on five hits in an inning of work. He gave way to Owen Austin who struck out four, surrendering three runs – one earned. Kaden Fuller tossed the final inning and two-thirds of one-hit, scoreless relief that allowed WCU the chance to attempt a rally.
 
Rider starter Clayton Poliey (1-1) struck out six against one walk in limiting the potent Catamount offense to just four runs on four hits over five and a third innings. Jack Ruditzky struck out one in two-thirds of two-hit relief before Gavin Hawkes allowed two runs on two hits with a walk without recording an out. Zach Silfies earned the three-inning save, allowing just the final two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Western Carolina (5-7) hits the road for five straight starting with Wednesday's neutral field meeting with the nationally ranked Michigan State Spartans (9-1), the second Big Ten foe on WCU's docket and first team among the Top 25 (No. 23 in National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NBCWA) poll). MSU swept Harvard in Greenville over the weekend with a trio of run-ruled, seven inning decisions.
 
Wednesday's game is at Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, S.C., home of the minor league Greenville Drive – and site of the 2025 Southern Conference Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases – with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network available online through CatamountSports.com.
 
Next weekend, the Catamounts travel to Atlanta, Ga., for a three-game set against Georgia State at the GSU Baseball Complex in Decatur, Ga. It's the first meetings in Georgia between the two since 2004, though the Panthers have won four-straight dating back to 2020 including sweeping the series in Cullowhee a year ago.
 
WCU is not back at home until March 14-16 against Eastern Illinois at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
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