Cullowhee, N.C. – Mason Holton collected a career-best four base hits, including a triple, with Elijah Smith legging out a three-bagger of his own on Thursday night, but Wofford continually had the response to each Catamount surge as the Terriers handed Western Carolina a 9-6 loss in the Southern Conference series opener at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
Tied at three through three complete, Wofford outscored the Catamounts 6-to-3 the remainder of the game to secure the series opening victory. WCU managed to claw back to within a run in the eighth inning before the Terriers tacked on a pair of insurance markers in the top of the ninth inning. With a pair of singles, the Catamounts managed to bring the tying run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the game.
 
Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for a special 4:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium before a regional television audience on The CW 62 and simulcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with Pete Yanity and Rusty Stroupe on the call.
 
Live stats are available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Holton finished 4-for-5 with his triple complemented by a trio of singles, a stolen base, and a run scored in his return to the lineup after missing Tuesday's road win at Presbyterian. Elijah Smith (3-for-4) tripled to left-center field as part of a three-hit effort, reaching a fourth time on a walk. Jack Spyke stretched his active reached base safely streak to 13 games in a 2-for-5 performance with a double to round out WCU's three with multi-hit games.
 
Trent Turner reached twice with a pair of walks, including a bases-loaded, run-scoring free pass in the sixth inning.
 
Six Terriers collected multiple hits in Thursday's win as Ryan Wynn (3-for-5) and Tanner Hardin (3-for-5) posted three hits apiece, Wynn with a double and Hardin had three singles. James Layman (2-for-4) drove in two with a single and a triple.
 
Hunter Herndon finished 0-for-2 after entering as a pinch hitter but drove in two runs on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly in the two-run ninth inning.
 
A one-out walk to Turner was cashed in on an RBI double by Spyke as the Catamounts jumped out to the 1-0 lead after the opening frame. The advantage was short-lived, though, as Wofford scored three in the top of the second inning to pull in front. James Layman contributed a run-scoring single, Raul Feliz an RBI double, and Niko Brini capped the frame with a run-scoring single.
 
The Catamounts knotted the game at three with a two-spot in the bottom of the third inning, with both unearned runs scoring on an infield fielding error at third. WCU then missed a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead in the fourth as Smith led off with a triple, but was cut down trying to score on a shallow flyball to left center. Holton then legged out a second triple in the inning for WCU, but the Catamounts ultimately stranded two of their 12 LOB in the frame.
 
Wofford broke the tie with the game's next three runs as Layman legged out an RBI triple and Tyler Bak beat out a run-scoring infield single in the fifth. Then in the sixth, the third of three consecutive hits plated a run as David Wiley singled through the left side for the 6-3 lead.
 
WCU rallied with a two-spot in the sixth, loading the bases with Turner plating a run on a walk and Brayden Corn reaching on a run-scoring HBP to make it 6-5.
 
Both teams scored solo markers in the seventh as Layman was plunked to open the frame before scoring on a fielder's choice play at the plate on an errant throw home. The Catamounts got the run back in the home half as Holton connected on the third straight single in the inning to score Elijah Smith to make it 7-6.
 
The Terriers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the ninth as the first two batters reached on singles. Herndon lifted a sacrifice fly to right to plate the first run with an infield error allowing a second marker to cross, though an out was recorded as a would-be third runner was cut down at the dish.
 
WCU got a one-out single by Smith and a two-out single by Holton to bring the game-tying run to the plate in the ninth. However, a three-pitch strikeout squashed the rally and secured the win for the Terriers, their seventh in the last 10 meetings in Cullowhee.
 
Catamount starter Davis Wright (3-5) was the tough-luck loser after striking out five over 5.1 innings as Wofford scored six runs on 12 hits. Josh Ossiander struck out one in 1.2 relief innings with Owen Austin also fanning one but was touched for two runs – one earned – on three hits. Carter Burnette tossed the final two-thirds of an inning in relief.
 
Freshman Cullen Condon (2-2) earned the win after navigating five innings, surrendering three runs, one earned, on five hits with three strikeouts against two walks. Michael Sills was touched for a pair of runs on a hit with three walks. Dylan Rhadans struck out three against three hits with one run allowed before Carter Rasmussen earned his second save with two innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.
 
Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
 
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