Cullowhee, N.C. – Mason Holton capped a three-run home half of the eighth inning with a run-scoring base hit to left field as Western Carolina surged past the Wofford Terriers with a run-ruled, 15-5 decision to claim the three-game Southern Conference series at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
WCU scored in six of the eight innings it took swings on Saturday, with four multi-run innings, including three runs in the second, fifth, and eighth innings, while also scoring four in the fourth after Wofford had cut the Catamount lead in half at 4-2. Entering the final frame leading by seven, 12-5, the home squad found three runs to earn the walk-off, run-rule victory in eight innings.
 
The offensive outburst was coupled with a gritty pitching performance by starter Owen Austin. The left-hander worked his WCU-long 4.2 innings, maneuvering around six walks with four strikeouts in limiting the Terriers to just three runs with two earned on three base hits. Davis Budd (1-1) earned the victory in relief, striking out two in 1.2 innings with a run allowed on three hits before Ryan White tossed the final 1.2 with three strikeouts against a walk with just one base hit surrendered.
 
For the Catamounts, Trey Spees (4-for-5) led the way with a career-high four base hits, including a double and a trio of singles, while Hayden Friese (3-for-4) and Holton (3-for-6) both finished with three hits apiece as those three accounted for 10 of WCU's 15 hits in the winning effort. The remaining five hits were spread between five players, with Noah Quarless belting a solo home run in the decisive eighth inning. Brayden Corn (1-for-2), Elijah Smith (1-for-5, 2 RBI), and Wyatt Stanley (1-for-2, 2 RBI) each doubled, and Jack Spyke (1-for-2, RBI) singled in the winning effort.
 
In addition to the 15 base hits, the opportunistic Catamounts capitalized on eight walks and four HBPs. Four of the walks and three of the hit batters scored runs for WCU. Corn scored five runs as he reached base a team-best five times, matched by Spyke, who added three walks and an HBP to his single. Friese added an HBP to his three singles to match Spees by reaching base four times.
 
Shortstop Ryan Wynn (2-for-4) had two of Wofford's seven hits with a pair of singles. Tanner Hardin (1-for-4) doubled, and James Layman (1-for-4) plated a run on his two-base hit for the Terriers. David Wiley (0-for-3) and Hunter Herndon (0-for-2) both drew a pair of walks as Wofford collected seven free passes on the day with both Layman and Herndon scoring once.
 
Trent Turner handed Western Carolina a lead it would never relinquish on Saturday with a first-inning sacrifice fly to score Brayden Corn, who led off the home half of the first with an HBP. In the second, a pair of walks to Quarless and Corn sandwiched around a double by Spees were cashed in on an RBI single by Friese, a fielder's choice by Turner with Corn scoring on an error.
 
Wofford (24-17, 3-9 SoCon) cut the Catamount lead in half in the fourth inning as consecutive walks to start the inning came around to score on a two-out single by catcher Raul Feliz.
 
The Terrier rally was short-lived, though, as nine Catamounts came to the plate in the home portion of the fourth with WCU plating four runs to lead 8-2 through four. Spees singled and Friese reached on a one-out HBP to put two aboard. Two batters later, Spyke loaded the bases with two outs on a second HBP in the inning before Holton collected his first hit with a single to short to score the first run. Pinch hitter Wyatt Stanley drew a bases-loaded walk to push a run home before Elijah Smith drilled a two-run double into left center.
 
Wofford scored once in the top of the fifth as Niko Brini singled and stole a pair of bases before scoring, though WCU responded with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame and a solo marker in the sixth. Friese lifted a sacrifice fly to right in the fifth with an RBI single in the sixth, and Stanley had an RBI double as WCU led 12-3.
 
Wofford tacked on single runs in the top of the seventh and eighth innings to close to within seven, 12-5, before WCU's three-run, game-winning eighth. Quarless belted a one-out homer before Spees scored on an RBI walk by Spyke with Holton singling home the winning run.
  
Wofford starter Kenny Michaels (3-3) took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits and four walks in two innings as he faced just one batter in the third. Alec Bouchard (1.2 IP) and Michael Sills (1.0 IP) allowed four and three runs, respectively, both with a strikeout, before Sheldon Egger threw a team-long 3.0 relief innings. Egger was tagged for four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Western Carolina (19-20, 4-8 SoCon) continues the canine swing in its 2025 schedule. After completing three against the Terriers, the next five games are against Bulldog monikers, beginning Wednesday with a trip to mountain-rival UNC Asheville on April 23 with a 5 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
 
WCU returns to SoCon play on the weekend with a three-game set against the Samford Bulldogs in Birmingham, Ala., April 25-27, before concluding the "dog run" against the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb in Cullowhee on Tuesday, April 29.
 
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