Greenville, S.C. – Mason Holton blasted a three-run home run as part of a four-run first inning as fifth-seeded Western Carolina seized a 7-0 lead over the first five innings before tacking on a three-spot in the ninth to advance in the winner's bracket with a 10-3 victory over fourth-seeded Mercer on Thursday afternoon in the 2025 Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field.
 
Winners of three straight, the Catamounts advance to face regular-season champion and top-seeded ETSU (38-15, 14-7 SoCon) at 9 a.m. on Friday. The winner of that game advances to play at Noon on Saturday, while the loser drops into the loser's bracket and has to return Friday at 4 p.m. in an elimination game. Mercer (33-24) falls into the loser's bracket and plays in an elimination game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Fluor Field.
 
Western Carolina's 12 base hits were spread between eight players, with three posting multi-hit games. Hayden Friese (3-for-5) continued his strong tournament, reaching base four times with a trio of singles and a fourth-inning walk. Wyatt Stanley (2-for-4) tripled twice with an RBI, while Trey Spees (2-for-4) reached three times with a pair of singles and a walk. Holton (1-for-2) was on base three times with the three-run homer and a pair of walks.
 
Brayden Corn (1-for-4) hit his second home run of the tournament with a two-run shot in the fourth inning and reached on an HBP in the ninth inning. Jack Spyke (1-for-5) scored twice with a single, and Noah Quarless (1-for-3) reached base three times with a walk, HBP, and an RBI single in the three-run ninth.
 
Ty Dalley (3-for-5) recorded a third of Mercer's nine hits with a pair of singles and a double, with Parker Lester (1-for-3), David Fallon (1-for-4), and Bradley Frye (1-for-5) each doubling for the Bears.
 
Western Carolina (30-26) got on the board in the top of the first inning as Corn was plunked by the game's first pitch and moved to third on a sharp single to right by Friese. An infield error allowed Corn to score the first run ahead of Holton, who smacked the second pitch of his at-bat over the fence in right center field for the 4-0 lead.
 
Two innings later, Trey Spees led off with a single before Corn hit his second home run of the tournament with a two-run shot for the 6-0 advantage. In the fifth inning, Holton led off with a walk as WCU loaded the bases with one out before Spees delivered a run-scoring single through the right side for a 7-0 advantage.
 
Meanwhile, Catamount starter Davis Wright (5-7) held the potent Mercer offense without a hit through the first 2.2 innings before a Dalley single.
 
Mercer got on the board in the sixth as both an HBP and a walk crossed the plate on a David Falloon double and a wild pitch to trim the Catamount edge down to five, 7-2 The Bears continued to mount a challenge in the seventh with a pair of doubles by Ty Dalley and Bradley Frye scored a run to make it 7-3. However, reliever Josh Ossiander came in to strike out two of the three batters he faced to stem the tide and keep it a four-run game headed to the final two frames.
 
After a scoreless top of the eighth, Mercer threatened in the home portion of the frame with a lead-off double before reliever Ryan White recorded a strikeout. The Bears put two aboard before a second K and a fielder's choice putout ended the threat.

Looking for insurance in the top of the ninth inning, Jack Spyke led off with a single before a sacrifice bunt by Corn moved him into scoring position. Stanley then lifted his second triple of the game to the wall in right to bring Spyke home as the ball careened away from the right fielder. Noah Quarless then singled up the middle with two outs to make it 10-3.
 
Catamount closer Brandon Langley worked around a one-out walk for a scoreless ninth, ending the game with a strikeout to propel the Catamounts into the winner's bracket.
 
Wright earned the win on the mound, limiting the Bears to just three runs while scattering seven base hits with three strikeouts against a walk and an HBP. He gave way to Ossiander, who struck out two in his two-thirds of an inning of work. Ryan White fanned two in an inning of one-hit, scoreless relief before Langley closed the game with a hitless, scoreless ninth with a strikeout.
 
Mercer starter Jeb Johnson (4-5) was chased after just two-thirds of an inning, surrendering four runs, three earned, on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. The Bears used eight different relievers, with Jess Ackerman tossing a team-long 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts as the most effective out of the bullpen.
 
WCU and ETSU open the first four-game day of the tournament at 9 a.m. on Friday at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. General admission day pass tickets for Friday's games are available online (CLICK HERE). The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network available online for WCU's meeting with ETSU 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).
 
2025 Southern Conference Baseball Championship
 
May 21 (Wednesday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 1: #5 Western Carolina 15, #8 VMI 1 (7 inn.)
Game 2: #7 Wofford 4, #6 UNCG 2

May 22 (Thursday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 3: #5 Western Carolina 10, #4 Mercer 3
Game 4: #7 Wofford 12, #3 The Citadel 4

May 23 (Friday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 5: #5 Western Carolina vs. #1 ETSU, 9 a.m.
Game 6: #7 Wofford vs. #2 Samford, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: #3 The Citadel vs. Loser Game 5, 4 p.m.
Game 8: #4 Mercer vs. Loser Game 6, 7:30 p.m.

May 24 (Saturday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 12 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 3:30 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 9, 7 p.m.
 
May 25 (Sunday)
SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (ESPN+)
Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 12 p.m.
Game 13: Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser^, 40 minutes after Game 12
^ if necessary