Greensboro, N.C. – Davis Wright struck out a career-high 11 in a season-long 7.1 innings pitched on Friday night, but the Catamount offense was never able to get in gear as Western Carolina baseball dropped game two of its three-game Southern Conference series against UNC Greensboro in a 1-0 pitcher's duel at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
 
Wright (4-7) kept the Spartan batters off-balance most of the night, scattering four hits and navigating through three walks with his first double-digit strikeout performance. But the Ridgeway, S.C., transfer was tagged for an eighth inning run that proved to be the difference.
 
UNCG senior Sam Murchison (6-5) stymied the Catamounts over nine complete innings of the three-hit shutout to outduel Wright for the win. Murchison struck out seven against four walks and forced WCU to strand eight runners on base and finish the game 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
 
Scoreless through the first seven and a half innings, the Spartans capitalized on a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth right after Wright recorded his 11th punchout. He was lifted two batters later after issuing the free pass. Jacob Dilley then singled through the right side off WCU reliever Josh Ossiander. Brantley Truitt, who drew the walk, scampered to third after a Catamount fielding error on the play opened the door. The next batter, Parker Wight, then drilled the sixth pitch of his at-bat into left field for a double, scoring Truitt with the go-ahead marker.
 
With runners at second and third, Ossiander minimized the damage by inducing a pop-up to right field for the second out before Ryan White struck out pinch-hitter Branton Jernigan out of the bullpen for WCU's 12th K of the day and to send the game to the ninth.
 
Well over 100 pitches on the night, Murchison returned to the center of the diamond and issued a lead-off, seven-pitch walk to Mason Holton to put the tying run aboard. After a strikeout for the first out, an infield groundout moved the tying run to second base with two away. Murchison, though, collected his seventh strikeout of the day to end the game, stranding Holton and setting off the complete-game celebration on Senior Night.
 
WCU's three singles came from two players batting sixth and seventh in the lineup. Elijah Smith (2-for-3) reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk, while Wyatt Stanley (1-for-4) singled. Holton (0-for-2) walked twice, and Hayden Friese (0-for-3) reached once on a free pass in the loss. Noah Quarless (0-for-1) was hit by a pitch to reach base safely, adding a successful sacrifice bunt.
 
UNCG finished with six hits spread between four players as Wight (2-for-4) doubled twice and Case Kermode (2-for-3) reached twice on singles. Dilley (1-for-3) singled and walked to reach base twice with Truitt (0-for-2) scoring the lone run on his only time on the base paths after drawing a walk.
 
Western Carolina (27-26, 9-11 SoCon) wasn't without its chances early in Friday's middle game of the series. The Catamounts loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning on singles by Stanley and Smith before Quarless was plunked. However, a strikeout ended the threat and left all three runners aboard.
 
UNCG threatened in the third inning with a pair of singles sandwiched around the first out before Wright induced a ground ball and a flyout to strand the two Spartans. An inning later, Wight doubled down the right-field line but advanced no further as Wright then struck out the side.
 
Smith led off the top of the fifth inning with a single to left and was sacrificed into scoring position by Quarless, and later moved to third on a productive right side of the infield ground out. Brayden Corn was then hit by a pitch and promptly stole second base to put two in scoring position. Yet, both were again stranded.
 
WCU later left walks on base in the top of the sixth (Holton), seventh (Smith), and eighth (Friese) innings. UNCG broke the stalemate with the game's only run in the home half of the eighth inning, before the Catamounts left a free pass on base for the fourth consecutive inning in the ninth as Holton led off with a walk but was left at second base when the game ended.
 
Saturday's series rubber match is for more than just winning the weekend three-game series. With both teams already locked into next Wednesday's single-elimination portion of the tournament, the winner will garner the league's No. 5 seed, with the loser relegated to sixth place in the final standings.
 
The first pitch of the finale is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
   
Southern Conference Seeding Scenarios:

• At present, the only two seeds that are locked in are the No. 7 and No. 8 – though the top four and the bottom four are established as to which teams will compete in the single-elimination and which teams will earn at least a one-day bye into Thursday's games;
• Wofford (8-13) will finish seventh and VMI (6-15) eighth after the Terriers took 2-of-3 this week in that head-to-head series;
• The winner of the WCU (9-11) vs. UNCG (9-11) series on Saturday will be seeded fifth and will face No. 8 VMI at 3 p.m. next Wednesday, May 21 at Fluor Field … the loser of Saturday's game will be the No. 6 seed and face eighth-seeded VMI in Wednesday's nightcap at 7 p.m. in Greenville;
• Despite dropping the first two games of the series to The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., ETSU (13-7) remains in first place entering the final day of the regular season … A win over the Bulldogs on Saturday would mean a 14th league win, a regular-season championship, and the No. 1 seed for the Buccaneers … A loss would relegate them into a tie with The Citadel (12-8) with the Cadets earning the higher seed after the tiebreaker scenarios;
• Samford (12-8) and Mercer (12-8) have the same record as The Citadel entering Saturday's finale – one of the teams will finish at 13-8 overall, the other at 12-9 … the Bears have taken the first two games by one-run margins;
• Tiebreakers between the top four teams:
  • ETSU over Samford and Mercer;
  • The Citadel over ETSU and Mercer;
  • Samford over The Citadel
  • Mercer over Samford