Cullowhee, N.C. – Noah Quarless capped Western Carolina's five-run rally with a two-run, walk-off home run in the 10th inning of Friday's 2026 season opener as Catamount baseball opened its schedule with a come-from-behind extra-inning victory over George Washington, 7-5, at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
In the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the baseball diamond, George Washington (0-1) homered three times in building a 5-0 lead through the opening three frames. However, Catamount relievers Mason Snyder and Owen Austin combined to silence the Revolutionaries over the final seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits and striking out eight to allow WCU's offense to go to work.
 
The Catamounts pushed across four runs in the fourth inning to make it a one-run game, 5-4, before a pair of ninth-inning doubles by Brody Raleigh and Trey Spees tied the game, forcing free baseball. In the 10th, Wyatt Stanley drew a lead-off walk and was sacrificed into scoring position by Elijah Smith. Noah Quarless then entered the chat, belting his seventh career home run just to the right of the centerfield batter's eye for a two-run blast that propelled WCU into the winner's column for the third-straight year in its home opener.
 
Three Catamounts finished with two-hit games on opening day, with Trent Turner reaching base four times, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and two walks – one intentionally. Spees doubled home Raleigh for one of his two knocks in a 2-for-5 effort, while Raleigh was 2-for-4, adding a run-scoring single to accompany his late two-base hit.
 
Quarless collected a team-best three RBI, lifting a sacrifice fly to center in the four-run fourth before his extra-innings heroics. He reached base three times, adding a pair of walks. Smith was plunked twice, once with the bases loaded for a run-scoring HBP, with Jackson Lyda singling once but managing to put down a pair of bunts – one for a sacrifice, the other plating the fourth run in the fourth inning.
 
Mason Holton joined Raleigh and Spees with a double as the Catamounts finished with 10 total hits.
 
For George Washington University, infielder Tyler Jones collected a game-high four hits in a 4-for-4 effort with a pair of doubles to lead three with multi-hit games. Charlie Walsh hit a two-run home run in the third inning as part of a 2-for-5 showing, with catcher Robbie Lavey and first baseman Charlie Rogan also homering in the first inning.
 
Lead-off hitter Michael Bravette (2-for-5) capped the three Revs with multi-hit games, sandwiching consecutive singles between three flyball outs.
 
Friday's game opened with a bang as Bravette was robbed of a base hit by a diving stab by Elijah Smith in center field. Following an excuse-me check swing bunt, retired the second batter, WCU starter Davis Wright looked to be settling in. However, Lavey put the Revolutionaries in front with a solo blast. With Nick Mullen aboard with a walk, Rogan delivered a second big fly with a two-run homer, pushing GWU in front 3-0 after one.
 
Two innings later, the guests extended their lead with Jones legging out his second double before Walsh homered to right-center for the 5-0 lead.
 
Meanwhile, the Catamounts struggled out of the offensive gates, putting a runner aboard in the first two innings only to be caught stealing at second to end both frames. WCU put two on in the third with a walk by Quarless and Lyda's single, but both were stranded.
 
Still trailing 5-0, WCU showed its first true life in 2026 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
After consecutive strikeouts by reliever Mason Snyder fired up the dugout, four consecutive Catamounts reached base to start the home half. Turner singled, Holton rapped a double to left, followed by consecutive HBPs to Stanley and Smith, the latter forcing home WCU's first run. Quarless lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Holton ahead of Raleigh's run-scoring single punched through the left side. The Catamounts clawed to within a run on an RBI bunt groundout by Lyda to make it 5-4 through four.
 
Despite the middle-inning momentum, WCU (1-0) was unable to capitalize further until the ninth. The Catamounts stranded a two-out walk in the fifth, left another runner on in the sixth, and bounced into a pair of inning-ending double-plays in the seventh and eighth.
 
But as the Catamounts were struggling, Snyder was busy silencing George Washington's offense. He worked around a one-out single in the fifth and stranded two in the seventh, combined with a pair of 1-2-3 frames in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings.
 
In the home half of the ninth, Raleigh laced a double to the fence in left-center before being moved 90 feet away by Lyda on a sacrifice bunt. Spees then ripped a two-out double into right field, knotting the game at five. WCU had two on in the final regulation inning after Turner was intentionally walked, but a groundout ended the threat, pushing the game to extras.
 
Senior LHP Owen Austin (1-0) managed to make short work of the Revolutionaries' middle third, striking out two and inducing a groundball to short to start the 10th. In the home half, Stanley coaxed a lead-off walk before Smith sacrificed him to second. Quarless then ended the game with his two-run homer.
 
Austin earned the victory for the Catamounts, striking out two in an inning of relief. But it was the effort of junior transfer Mason Snyder that made WCU's comeback possible. The Berry College transfer from Ocilla, Ga., scattered three hits over six scoreless innings, striking out six against one walk. WCU starter Davis Wright was lifted after three innings, surrendering five runs on eight hits with a walk.
 
GW reliever Matt Bruno (0-1) suffered the loss, tagged for three runs on four hits with a strikeout against two walks. Gavin Miller pitched three solid innings of one-hit, scoreless relief, working around three walks with three strikeouts. Converted starter Max Haug fanned two over his four-inning effort, scattering five hits while tagged for four runs in the fourth inning with a walk and three hit batters.
 
The nonconference series concludes on Saturday with a scheduled doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Game three will follow approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games can be heard on the Catamount Sports Network, with live streaming audio, as well as live stats, available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
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