Boone, N.C. –
Walker Fox belted a three-run home run and a run-scoring double as part of a three-hit effort, plating four runs as Western Carolina thumped mountain-rival Appalachian State 13-3 on Tuesday night in the frontend of a nonconference home-and-home at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. The two longtime rivals meet again in Cullowhee on Tues., April 14.
Five of WCU's base hits went for extra bases, and the Catamounts capitalized on a trio of Mountaineer errors in the winning effort, snapping a two-game road slide.
The victory was WCU's first over Appalachian State in Boone since 2013, halting a five-game road slide that dated back to 2013, the final year for the Apps in the Southern Conference. WCU's 10-run margin of victory was its biggest since a 20-10 victory in Cullowhee back on May 3, 2014.
Fox led four Catamounts with multi-hit games, finishing a triple shy of the cycle in a 3-for-4, four RBI performance. He was also hit by a pitch to reach base four times.
Brody Raleigh hit a solo home run in the fourth inning as part of a 2-for-4 outing, likewise reaching on an HBP, while
Mason Holton collected a pair of singles and two late RBI.
Jaylen Jones (2-for-5) doubled with two runs scored and an RBI, with
Wyatt Stanley reaching twice as he was plunked and officially finished 1-for-5 with a two-bagger.
Jackson Lyda reached twice with a walk and an HBP. Raleigh and Jones both recorded stolen bases.
Appalachian State (10-6) had a trio of players collect two base hits, with Riley Luft (2-for-3) doubling. He was joined by Jonathan Xuereb (2-for-5) and Drew DuPont (2-for-4) with multi-hit performances. Jalen Seward (1-for-4) legged out a double for one of two extra-base hits for ASU.
Western Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 over the opening four frames, with
Marshall McGowan driving one to right that was misplayed, and the error allowed
Jaylen Jones to score. Raleigh doubled the score in the fourth with his home run to left to make it 2-0. The Mountaineers responded with a solo marker in the bottom of the fourth as Luft doubled home DuPont to make it a 2-1 game through four complete.
The Catamounts then scored the next seven runs between the fifth and sixth innings, including five in the latter. Fox doubled home Holton to make it 3-1, and Jones plated Fox on a run-scoring single to cap the two-run fifth inning.
Dominic Robinson touched home on an error off Stanley's bat in the sixth, with Lyda scampering home on a wild pitch. Fox added the exclamation point to the sixth inning with a three-run homer for the 9-1 advantage.
App State plated two runs in the seventh inning on a Seward double and a sacrifice fly by Nico Soul to pull back within six, 9-3. But the Catamounts responded to put the game away with a four-run ninth inning, scoring runs on a balk, a bases-loaded Lyda walk, and a two-run single to center by Holton to provide the final tally, 13-3.
Bryant Kimbrell struck out four in the starting effort for the Catamounts, holding the Mountaineers scoreless on two hits over 3.2 innings. First out of the bullpen,
Ryan White allowed a run on two hits in 1.1 innings with a strikeout.
Kaden Fuller (1-0) was credited with the win in relief, working around a walk and a hit in an inning of work.
Griffin Guinther,
John Lobs, and
Scott Templeton each tossed an inning in relief, and Lobs fanned two out of the bullpen.
Appalachian State starter Logan Tibbett (0-2) was saddled with the loss, surrendering the unearned run in the first inning with two hits and a pair of walks as the Mountaineers never pulled even in the loss. Tibbett was the first of 10 pitchers used by Appalachian State in the loss, with Reyn Watson striking out two over 1.2 innings, and four other relievers registering strikeouts.
Western Carolina (11-6) opens an eight-game homestand on Thursday, welcoming Morehead State to Cullowhee for a four-game series through the weekend. Thursday and Friday's games are at 5 p.m., with first pitch on Saturday scheduled for 2 p.m., and a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. The homestand includes hosting Gardner-Webb (March 17) and opening Southern Conference play March 20-22 against the preseason favorite, Samford.
All four games against Morehead State are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required), with live stats links available online at CatamountSports.com.
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