Charlotte, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball struggled in finding timely hitting on Friday afternoon, stranding a combined 16 base runners in its first of four games at UNC Charlotte's Hayes Stadium this weekend, falling to Radford, 7-1, in nonconference action.
WCU (9-4) plays a doubleheader on Saturday, meeting the Highlanders (7-4) for a second straight day at Noon, before facing the host 49ers in game two of the twin bill. Game two is set for a 4 p.m. start and will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with live stats available online for both games at CatamountSports.com.
Jackson Lyda led the Catamount offense, reaching base five times, including a career-best 4-for-4 effort at the dish with three singles and a double, the lone extra-base hit for WCU in the loss. He also drew a hit by a pitch amidst the fourth multi-hit game of his career.
Trey Spees (2-for-4) and
Cole Jones (2-for-5) both had a pair of singles, with
Wyatt Stanley (1-for-5) delivering a run-scoring single.
Eli Hudgins doubled in a team-best 3-for-4 offensive effort for Radford, and Junho Son also legged out a two-bagger in a 2-for-3 showing. Breckin Nace belted a three-run home run in the home half of the first inning to account for his three RBI, while Devin Parks (1-for-5) likewise drove home three for the Highlanders.
Radford used the Nace first-inning home run, and a second-inning RBI ground out by Parks to grab a 4-0 lead through two complete. In the third, Stanley laced a two-out single down the right-field line to put the Catamounts on the board as Lyda scored after bunting for a single.
However, the Highlanders continued to tack on insurance markers with a run-scoring single in the fifth, and a two-RBI double by Parks in the sixth inning that provided the final tally.
WCU had base runners in each inning on Friday, but left 16 on base, twice stranding the bases loaded in suffering the defeat.
Catamount starter
Davis Wright (0-1) took the loss, surrendering five runs on six hits with a walk against three strikeouts.
Shane Huntsberger was tagged for a pair of unearned runs over 1.2 relief innings with a pair of strikeouts, before
Jacob Arnberger held Radford scoreless over two frames. Arnberger worked around a walk and a hit allowed.
Radford reliever Daniel Quintana (3-0) earned the victory after starter Raymond Ladd was lifted after four innings. Ladd worked around four walks and four hits, striking out three, and held WCU to just one run. Quintana tossed four scoreless relief innings, countering three walks with a trio of strikeouts. Trey Ludy struck out two in the ninth.
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