Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball scored nine runs over the opening four frames and then held off a late surge by Samford as the Catamounts evened the best-of-three Southern Conference series on Saturday afternoon with an 11-9 victory over the Bulldogs at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
Limited to just one base hit in Friday's disappointing series opener, the Catamounts wasted little time in exorcising those demons, overcoming the first of two Jake Souders solo home runs in the first inning to take their first lead with a two-spot. Jackson Lyda led off the home half with a double to match Friday's tally, with Trent Turner singling through the right side to put two aboard and eclipse the total from the opener.
 
A balk brought home the WCU's first run of the series as Samford starter Mason Blasche (0-5) stumbled on his delivery, but never released the baseball. Mason Holton doubled home Turner as WCU led 2-1 after one complete.
 
Back down one after the Bulldogs scored two in the top of the second inning on the third home run of the series by Trey Higgins – a two-run shot to left field – nine Catamounts batted in a four-run frame. With Walker Fox aboard with a double and Marshall McGowan at first on a walk, Jaylen Jones singled home the tying run. Wyatt Stanley later singled home McGowan with the go-ahead run, with an insurance marker scoring on a misplayed ball on the same play, before Turner capped the rally with a run-scoring single to left for the 6-3 lead.
 
Lyda drove in the seventh run to plate McGowan in the third, with Noah Quarless extending the advantage with a two-run homer to left center in the fourth for the 9-3 lead.
 
Souders hit his second round-tripper in the fifth that trimmed the margin back to five, 9-4, before WCU responded two innings later with an all-important two-run inning. McGowan doubled down the right-field line, ahead of three-straight singles from Lyda, Stanley, and Turner that resulted in the two runs and the 11-4 lead.
 
Samford (9-12, 1-1 SoCon) wouldn't go away, though, as the Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit with three in the eighth inning. Cade Carr reached second base with a single and an error, before a passed ball allowed him to reach third from where he scored on an infield ground out. With Eddie Marshall aboard, Parker McDonald cut it back to a four-run deficit with a two-run homer.
 
In the ninth, Samford mounted a two-out rally as Souders was plunked before Carr homered to left to claw the 'Dogs back to within a pair. Luke Boykin continued the rally with a single to bring the game-tying run to the plate. However, WCU reliever Owen Austin was able to get the game-ending infield groundout in the 11-9 victory.
 
Five Catamounts posted multi-hit games in the victory, with Lyda (3-for-4), Turner (3-for-4), and McGowan (3-for-3) each collecting three hits apiece, with Lyda and McGowan hitting doubles. Holton and Stanley both finished 2-for-5 in the win, with Holton legging out a two-base hit. Quarless (1-for-5) homered, and Walker Fox (1-for-3) doubled and drew a walk for the Catamounts.
 
Samford had four players post multi-hit games, with Carr homering in a 3-for-5 effort, and Souders hitting two solo homers in a 2-for-4 performance. McDonald also hit a home run in a 2-for-3 outing.
 
Davis Wright (2-1) struck out eight and battled through five innings in the start. Mason Snyder and Austin closed the final four innings for the home squad, adding three combined strikeouts as WCU fanned 11. Wright scattered four runs on seven hits over this five-inning start and worked around a walk. Snyder tossed three innings with three runs—two earned—allowed on three hits. Austin struck out one in the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits.
 
Blasche was knocked out of Saturday's game after 1.1 innings, touched for six runs on six hits with a walk against two strikeouts. Trey Sanders also struck out two, giving up a run on three base hits. Michael Fredette gave up two runs on two hits with three walks before Will Andre tossed a team-long 2.2 relief innings and Palmer O'Beirne fanned one in 1.1 innings.
 
The series rubber match is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.