Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina erupted with an 11-run second inning to overcome an early deficit at home against Gardner-Webb on Tuesday evening, overpowering the Runnin' Bulldogs 19-7 in seven innings in nonconference action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Eight of WCU's 19 hits in the winning effort went for extra bases, including five home runs and three doubles.
 
Trent Turner (4-for-5) homered twice and doubled in a four-hit performance to lead five Catamounts with multi-hit games. The Waynesville, N.C., product drove home three as he became the first Catamount to reach double-digit home runs on the year with a team-best 10. Mason Holton (2-for-5) drove in a pair of runs with his two hits, including a solo home run, and catcher Noah Quarless (2-for-3) had a pair of RBI on a two-run blast of his own as part of Tuesday's big inning.
 
Trey Spees (2-for-3) drove home the game-tying markers with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the bottom of the second inning, while Jack Spyke (2-for-4) extended his reached base safely streak to 20 straight games by reaching three times with a walk, a single, and his Southern Conference leading 17th double of the year. Wyatt Stanley (1-for-2) also walked and doubled in the win.
 
Latter inning substitutions, Cole Jones (1-for-1) delivered a three-run, pinch-hit home run to score both Jackson Lyda and Yates Sikes, who both reached on pinch-hit singles in the frame.
 
Gardner-Webb's Merik Carter (4-for-5) finished the game a triple shy of the cycle with a pair of singles, a double, and a seventh-inning, three-run home run to lead five Runnin' Bulldogs with multiple hits on a 16-hit day. The starting second baseman collected the lone extra-base hits for the visitors.
 
Garrett Macias (2-for-3) reached three times with a pair of singles and an HBP, while Nick Capozzi (2-for-5) was credited with a pair of singles after the field umpire was struck twice on balls he put in play. Tanner Thomas (2-for-4) and Drew Ripepi (2-for-4) both singled twice in two-hit efforts
 
Gardner-Webb (16-29) took advantage of four base hits and a wild pitch to plate three runs in the top of the first inning. In the home half, a pair of singles put both Brayden Corn and Turner aboard with one out. A wild pitch allowed Corn to move to third, but Turner was caught in a pickle between first and second. Heads-up base running by Corn saw him score on the same play to make it 3-1 after one.
 
After stranding a base runner in the top of the second, the Catamounts seized control in a dominant second inning that saw 16 batters come to the plate. WCU plated 11 runs on 10 hits with one error. Wyatt Stanley started the rally with a lead-off walk, reaching a second time with a double. Quarless reached on a bunt single and hit a two-run homer in the frame, with Spees driving home two on one of his two singles as WCU led 12-3 through two.
 
Spyke opened the third inning with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch for the first 10-run lead of the game at 13-3.
 
Ryan Kennell singled home Lawson Knight to get the marker back for the Runnin' Bulldogs, but Turner and Holton both hit solo homers in the fifth to stretch the lead to 11, 15-4. The Catamounts then capped their scoring with a four-run home half of the sixth inning highlighted by the three-run homer by Cole Jones to make it 19-4. A three-run answer came by GWU in the top of the seventh as Merik Carter belted a three-run shot to right field that provided the final tally.
 
First out of the bullpen, Shane Huntsberger (1-0) was credited with the victory after ending Gardner-Webb's three-run first and facing just four batters in the second. The Coral Springs, Fla., product struck out two in an inning and a third of one-hit relief. Freshman relievers Bryant Kimbrell and Gavin Maines combined for three innings of work with a pair of strikeouts, one apiece. Senior Maret Drye struck out one against a pair of hits in an inning of work with Brent Walls called upon to finish the game, recording the final out for a third of an inning of work.
 
Freshman Jacob Arnberger made his first career start for the Catamounts on Tuesday before giving way to Huntsberger, keeping with the youth trend on the hill, with classmate and local product Charlie Collins also toeing the rubber in the midweek.
 
Gardner-Webb starter Devin Pressley was tagged for three runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout, but did not factor into the decision. The first of four to come out of the bullpen, reliever Gavin Schmitt (0-4) was saddled with the loss after surrendering eight runs, six earned, on seven hits in just two-thirds of an inning on the mound.
 
Western Carolina (23-21) steps out of conference for its next four games before concluding the season with six-straight in Southern Conference play. The Catamounts travel to Atlanta for a three-game series against the ACC's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this weekend before hosting Presbyterian next Wednesday (May 7). Friday's series opener at Russ Chandler Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m., with a 4 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. The Catamounts and Jackets wrap up the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start.
 
Each series game against the Yellow Jackets will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX, paid subscription required) and available through the Watch ESPN app. Links to live stats for each game will also be available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Keep track of everything related to WCU Athletics and Catamount baseball, including any game day schedule changes through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).