Cullowhee, N.C. – Cole Jones belted a three-run home run as part of a four-hit, career-best six-RBI effort, helping guide Western Carolina to a Southern Conference series victory over Mercer on Saturday at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts again weathered an early power surge by the Bears before lighting the scoreboard with crooked numbers in four innings, pulling away for the 17-9, series-clinching victory.
 
WCU (22-14, 5-3 SoCon) looks to sweep the power-hitting Bears on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. The series finale will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com. Youth are invited to run the bases following the game with the Jackson Paper Sunday Run Day at the ballpark.
 
For a second-straight day, Mercer (25-10, 4-4 SoCon) started on time, ambushing the Catamounts with six runs in the top of the first inning, belting three home runs, including a grand slam for the early advantage. WCU pushed back in the home half of the inning, though, with a five-spot of its own, sparked by a solo home run by Wyatt Stanley and a two-run triple by Jaylen Jones among the extra-base hits.
 
After the Bears reclaimed a three-run edge in the top of the second, the Catamounts again responded, scoring six in the home half of the second to take a lead they would never relinquish, 11-8, after two complete.
 
Mercer got a second solo home run from Braydon Kersey in the top of the third inning to pull back to within two, 11-9, but it would represent the final run for the visitors as Western Carolina's bullpen pieced together six scoreless innings. Aided by six defensive double-plays in the infield, Catamount relievers tossed six shutout innings and held Mercer to just four singles in the winning effort.
 
Six Catamounts finished with multi-hit games, including four two-hit efforts, with a three and a four-hit outing for the home squad.
 
Cole Jones singled three times and bounced a three-run homer off the top of the fence in left-center, matching his career-high for hits in a 4-for-5 effort. The Champaign, Ill., product had a run-scoring single in the first before the three-run blast in WCU's six-run second. He added a two-run single to right-center in the fourth inning to cap his career-high six-RBI day.
 
Jaylen Jones continued his strong series, reaching base three times with a two-run triple in the five-run first before capping his day with an inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning for his three RBI effort.
 
Mason Holton (3-for-5) reached base four times, opening the game with three-straight singles, two driving in runs over the opening two frames before reaching on an HBP in the eighth inning. Wyatt Stanley (2-for-2) homered in the first inning to put WCU on the scoreboard, but left the game with a 1-2 count with an apparent hand injury in the third inning. Trent Turner (2-for-5) doubled in a two-hit effort, and Noah Quarless (2-for-4) reached base four times with a pair of walks and two singles.
 
Mercer's Michael Graziano (3-for-5) opened the game with a lead-off, first-pitch home run, adding a double. Dylan LaPointe (1-for-4) hit a first-inning grand slam home run and Kersey (3-for-4) homered twice before a ninth-inning single. Brant Baughcum (2-for-3) singled twice and reached on an HBP in the loss.
 
Western Carolina outslugged the Bears, 17-to-10, in the hit column, though six of Mercer's knocks went for extra bases. The Catamounts, meanwhile, had five extra-base hits, including three homers – two that left the yard and the Jaylen Jones inside-the-parker.
 
Reliever Davis Budd (2-2) helped the Catamount bullpen seize control on an offensive-minded Saturday, tossing a game-long 4.0 innings with just one run allowed on three hits. The Acworth, Ga., product struck out three without a walk, credited with the victory. John Lobs earned his first collegiate save, tossing three shutout innings with just two hits and a walk allowed and striking out two.
 
Davis Wright struck out one against a walk in the start before being lifted in the top of the second inning. Shane Huntsberger was tagged for a run on a hit in an inning of relief.
 
Mercer starter Miguel Hugas (6-2) suffered just his second defeat through nine starts this season, tagged for 11 runs – seven earned – on 10 base hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Five relievers combined out of the bullpen, with Jackson Gaspard and Michael Strickland the only two to toss scoreless relief with an inning apiece.
 
The SoCon series concludes on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium, live on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).