Cullowhee, N.C. – Wyatt Stanley finished 3-for-3 and drove in all four of Western Carolina's runs as the Catamounts rallied from a three-run deficit to upend Bowling Green, 4-3, in game one of the three-game nonconference series on Friday evening at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
The visiting Falcons scored all three of their runs in the fourth inning, including a two-run home run to take the early lead. WCU got solo markers back in the home portion of the fourth and sixth innings to close to within a run, 3-2, through six complete. The Catamounts then used a two-out, seventh-inning rally to pull in front for good in the victory.
 
With frigid temperatures and high winds forecasted for Sunday, the two teams will play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. to complete the series, with the final game of the set to follow approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one of the twin bill. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com.
 
A trio of Western Carolina pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts in the winning effort, pitching a shutout over the final five innings and facing the minimum in three of those innings to aid the come-from-behind victory.
 
Stanley collected three of WCU's eight hits with a pair of singles and a towering solo home run in the fourth inning to put the Catamounts on the scoreboard. He added a sacrifice fly to plate WCU's sixth-inning run, finishing with four RBI. Noah Quarless continued his hot start to the season, going 2-for-4 with a double.
 
WCU's top third of the lineup tallied the other three hits in the win, with both Mason Holton (1-for-3) and Cole Jones (1-for-3) reaching twice with a single and a walk, and Trent Turner (1-for-4) lacing a single through the left side in the sixth inning. Turner nearly had his second home run of the season, but right fielder Zack Horky kept it from getting over the wall in right. Jones scored two of WCU's four runs.
 
Catamount starter Davis Wright struck out seven of the first eight batters he faced as part of fanning a combined eight over 5.1 innings, surrendering three runs – two earned – on six hits. Reliever Mason Snyder (1-0) picked up the victory after tossing 2.1 one-hit, scoreless innings out of the bullpen, working around a walk with four strikeouts. Owen Austin collected the squad's first save of the year, striking out three of the four batters he faced.
 
Bowling Green (0-4) had three players collect two-hit efforts, with Vinny Salvione (2-for-4) doubling twice, Sam Seidel (2-for-4) legging out a two-bagger with a stolen base, while Anthony Mitta (2-for-4) homered for one of his two hits.
 
Bowling Green broke the scoreless stalemate in the top of the fourth inning. Seidel singled and stole second before scoring on the first of two Catamount errors for the 1-0 lead. Mitta then homered to right for the 3-0 lead after three and a half. Two batters into the home half of the fourth, Stanley cut the deficit to two with a 444-foot home run to left center.
 
Two innings later, WCU struck again as Cole Jones coaxed a lead-off walk before advancing to third on a Turner single. Stanley then collected his second RBI with a sacrifice fly into left to make it a one-run game. Quarless doubled to put two in scoring position, but the Catamounts were unable to add any additional runs.
 
After the stretch, the Catamounts found the decisive frame in the seventh. Holton drew a two-out walk to jumpstart the rally, with Jones putting two aboard with a single to left. An infield error at third extended the frame, loading the bases before Stanley deposited a two-run single through the right side, allowing Holton and Jones to score for the 4-3 lead.
 
WCU's bullpen then did the rest as Snyder worked around a lead-off double to start the eighth, striking out two before giving way to Austion, who closed the frame with his first K of the day. In the ninth, Austin made short work of the Falcons, inducing a groundout before collecting two more strikeouts to save the victory, keeping WCU perfect at home this year.
 
Like WCU's Wright, BGSU starter Jacob Turner did not factor into the decision, striking out five against a pair of walks over five innings. He limited WCU to a pair of runs while scattering five hits. Titus Lotz (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing a pair of unearned runs on two hits with three strikeouts and a walk, while Ty Roder struck out one in 1.1 relief innings, surrendering the Stanley two-run single that allowed a pair of inherited runners to score.
 
The second nonconference series between WCU and BG all-time concludes on Saturday in double-header fashion at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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