Macon, Ga. - Western Carolina baseball split Saturday's Southern Conference doubleheader, evening the best-of-three series with a 7-3 victory in game one before dropping the finale in seven innings, 13-3.
 
Jack Spyke led WCU's offensive efforts with four hits and four RBI including a three-hit effort in the opener and a two-run homer in game two. Noah Quarless added a solo home run in game two despite the Catamounts being limited to just three hits in the seven-inning defeat.
 
WCU left 13 runners on base in the twin bill including nine in the opener.
 
Game One – Western Carolina 7, Mercer 3
Davis Wright struck out seven over a solid seven-inning start in the front end of Saturday's doubleheader as the Catamounts overcame an early one-run deficit and tacked on three late insurance runs to even the best-of-three series at a win apiece with a 7-3 victory.
 
Jack Spyke (3-for-4) drove in the game-tying run in the second inning before stealing home with the go-ahead marker as part of a three-hit, two-RBI performance. WCU's top three in the order each posted two hits in the winning effort as Mason Holton (2-for-5), Brayden Corn (2-for-5), and Hayden Friese (2-for-5) all doubled. Trent Turner (1-for-3) laid down a sacrifice and reached on an HBP.
 
Mercer's seven hits were spread between five players with Drew Johnson (2-for-3) and Bradley Frye (2-for-4) leading the Bears with two hits apiece, including a double by Johnson. Michael Graziano (1-for-4) collected the only other extra-base hit for the Bears.
 
Spyke singled home Cole Jones to tie the first game at one in the second inning before eventually scoring on a double steal to put the Catamounts ahead, 2-1.
 
The game remained a one-run affair until the sixth inning when Spyke struck again with a run-scoring single to left field to plate Wyatt Stanley for the 3-1 lead. Mercer got the run back in the home half, though, as Brant Baughcum lifted a sacrifice fly to left.
 
Both teams traded solo markers in the seventh and eighth before WCU put the game out of reach with three in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Corn, run-scoring double by Friese, and a sac fly by Stanley.
 
Wright (2-3) held the Bears to just two runs on six hits in earning the win, striking out seven against one free pass on a walk in seven innings. Brandon Langley closed the game, striking out two over the final two innings of one-run, one-hit relief.
 
Jeb Johnson (3-1) of Mercer was handed his first loss of the season, striking out eight over 5.1 innings but surrendered three runs, two of which were earned. Jackson Gaspard was touched for two runs on two hits with Riley Cruce surrendering one run on one hit in an inning out of the bullpen.
 
Game Two – Mercer 13, Western Carolina 3 (7 innings)
Mercer exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the decisive third inning before scoring the run-ruled victory in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Ely Brown as the Bears earned the doubleheader split and series win with the 13-3 victory over Western Carolina.
 
WCU's potent offense was stymied in game two, limited to just three hits though Jack Spyke (1-for-2) and Noah Quarless (1-for-2) both hit home runs. Spyke drove in two, reaching twice with his long ball and a base on balls. Elijah Smith (1-for-2) also reached twice with a walk and a single.
 
Brown (3-for-5) drove home four runs with a double and homer, and Titan Kamaka (1-for-3) plated three for the Bears, scoring 13 runs on 11 hits with four walks drawn. Cade Norton (2-for-2) was the only other Mercer player with multiple hits, adding a double and a sacrifice fly. Ty Dalley (1-for-3) also homered for the home squad.
 
After the Dalley homer in the bottom of the first inning, Mercer batted around in the elongated third inning. The Bears scored on a Brown double followed by consecutive run-scoring walks. Four RBI singles separated by a run-scoring HBP followed by a WCU infield error gave the home squad an 11-0 lead through three complete.
 
WCU hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth to claw back to within eight as Spyke hit a two-run shot and Quarless belted a solo down the left field line.
 
Ely Brown ended the game in the seventh, though, with a two-run blast to right center field for the run-ruled seven-inning win.
 
WCU starter Cannon Pickell (0-2) took the loss, saddled with five runs – four earned – on just two hits with three strikeouts against three walks. WCU used four pitchers in the 10-run third with Carter Burnette settling things and tossing a team-long 3.2 innings with a career-best six strikeouts.
 
Jess Ackerman (2-2) struck out nine in scoring the victory on the mound for Mercer, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks and a hit batter. Braydon Kersey tossed the final two hitless, scoreless innings in relief with a strikeout.
 
Western Carolina (13-15, 2-4 SoCon) returns home on Tuesday as its next five games are against the same two opponents. The Catamounts host mountain-rival Appalachian State on April 1 at 5 p.m., before hosting Gardner-Webb for two games of a three-game weekend series on Friday, April 4 at 5 p.m. and Saturday, April 5 at 3 p.m. Game three of the series with Gardner-Webb is set for Boiling Springs, N.C., on Sunday afternoon.