Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina methodically chipped away at an early deficit stemming from Mercer's opening-frame power surge on Friday evening in the Southern Conference series opener against the Bears.
Wyatt Stanley handed the Catamounts the lead for good on a lead-off solo home run in the sixth inning, and reliever
Mason Snyder silenced the Bear bats over four-plus innings as WCU claimed the opener, 10-6.
Friday's victory was a historic one for Catamount fourth-year head coach and program alum,
Alan Beck, who earned his 100th career victory. Beck received a celebratory postgame Gatorade bath from his teammates before graciously enjoying the milestone victory on the field with his wife, Kim, and sons, Easton and Eli.
Six Catamounts finished the series-opening victory with multi-hit games, as WCU amassed 15 hits and stranded 11 base runners despite hitting in double digits on the scoreboard.
Jaylen Jones extended his now team-long reached-base-safely streak to 20 games with a second-inning double, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI.
Trey Spees (3-for-4) had a trio of singles and a sacrifice fly.
Both of Stanley's (2-for-5) hits went for extra bases, adding a double to his homer.
Trent Turner (2-for-5) doubled and tripled in the winning effort, with
Noah Quarless (2-for-3) reaching base four times with a single, double, walk, and an HBP.
Cole Jones singled twice, tacking on a run-scoring single in the eighth as the Catamounts added three insurance markers.
Mercer's Eli Stephens belted a solo home run in a team-best 3-for-5 effort, with Brant Baughcum (2-for-4) collecting a double. Logan Shepherd (1-for-4) belted a two-run home run in the first inning for his lone hit of the contest, with Braydon Kersey (1-for-3) reaching base twice and giving the Bears a third home run on the day.
Both teams struck out six times against four walks apiece in game one of the series.
Mercer (25-9, 4-3 SoCon) was hot out of the gates, collecting four hits in the top of the first inning, each going for extra bases. The Bears tallied two doubles and a pair of home runs, with Shepherd smashing a two-run shot to center before Stephens circled the bases on a solo shot for the 3-0 lead.
Stanley accounted for WCU's answer in the home half of the first, scoring on an RBI triple by Turner to make it 3-1 after one. The Catamounts cashed in a
Jaylen Jones double in the second on a left-side single by Spees to make it a one-run game through two.
In the fourth, Mercer reclaimed its two-run cushion as Kersey led off with a solo home run to make it 4-2. It was short-lived, though, as the Catamounts knotted the game in the home half with a run off a balk and an RBI double by Stanley.
The two teams traded two spots in the fifth inning, Mercer using a pair of run-scoring singles and WCU loading the bases before
Jaylen Jones drew a walk and Spees lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center.
Stanley sent a towering home run to right-center field to open the sixth as the Catamounts took control, tacking on three more in the eighth on RBI singles from
Jaylen Jones and
Cole Jones, with Turner scampering home on a wild pitch.
Mercer threatened in the ninth with a lead-off walk and a two-out single, but both runners were stranded as WCU celebrated Beck's 100th victory.
Though the offensive output was impressive for the Catamounts, the home squad storyline had to be the fight by starter
Carter Burnette and the continued unflappable nature of
Mason Snyder. Burnette was touched for six early runs on 11 total base hits, countering a walk with a strikeout. After the difficult opening frame, the Asheville, N.C., product gave his squad a chance, battling through 4.2 innings.
Snyder (4-0), the two-time and reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Week, all but silenced Mercer's offense over the final 4.1 innings. The Ocilla, Ga., product worked around three walks with four strikeouts and limited the Bears to just one base hit. He retired the first five batters he faced and ultimately stranded four base runners with just one reaching second base over the final four innings.
Mercer reliever Jess Ackerman (2-2) was saddled with the loss, tagged for three runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout. He was the second reliever out of the bullpen in relief of starter Garrett Lambert, who scattered seven hits and four runs with two walks and a pair of strikeouts over 3.1 innings before being lifted. Lawson Cole gave up three runs on five hits in 2.2 innings, with Caleb Hughes recording a strikeout against the only batter he faced.
The series continues Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium, live on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com.
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