Boiling Springs, N.C. – Western Carolina broke open a one-run game with a three-run fifth inning that ignited a 10-run outburst over the middle frames as the Catamounts completed the two-game, midweek nonconference series sweep of regional rival Gardner-Webb, downing the Runnin' Bulldogs 11-1 in eight innings on Tuesday night at John Henry Moss Stadium.
The victory was WCU's seventh over its last eight games on the season. It also extended WCU's series win streak to five in a row over the Runnin' Bulldogs and was just WCU's second road victory in the last five trips to Boiling Springs.
Trent Turner belted his team-leading 11th home run of the season on a first-inning solo shot to left as part of a two-RBI day to give WCU a lead it would never relinquish.
Jackson Lyda cashed in a trio of freebies – two walks and an HBP – with a two-run double in the tinderbox fifth inning, before classmate
Trey Spees smacked a two-run homer as part of a four-run sixth that provided separation.
Mason Holton collected two of his three RBI on a double in the seventh, with
Caden Haywood driving in the game's final run with a run-scoring single in the eighth inning after Gardner-Webb staved off elimination with a solo home run in the seventh.
Lyda was the lone Catamount to post a multi-hit game, collecting two of WCU's 10 hits in the winning effort in a 2-for-4, two RBI performance. WCU's remaining eight hits were spread among eight players. Holton, who also had a sacrifice fly,
Jaylen Jones,
Cam Murray, and
Noah Quarless each doubled, with Turner and Spees homering in the win.
Owen Austin (3-0) earned the victory in the starting role, tossing a career-long 5.0 shutout innings. He scattered two hits and worked around a walk with six strikeouts. Austin's previous career-long at WCU was a 4.2 inning starting effort against Wofford, nearly a year to the date – April 19, 2025.
John Lobs struck out two over two relief innings, tagged with a two-out solo home run for the lone run and only hit allowed.
Jacob Arnberger struck out two in sending the fans home early with the run-ruled Catamount victory in the eighth inning.
Gardner-Webb starter Anthony Hausner (2-2) was saddled with the loss despite only allowing the Turner homer in the first inning. He struck out five Catamount batters while limiting WCU to a run on two hits. Josh Gentile allowed three runs on two walks and an HBP as the first of five Runnin' Bulldog relievers. Matt Manley and Brendan Lysik both recorded strikeouts out of the pen in an inning of work.
WCU's pitching staff limited Gardner-Webb to just three base hits spread among three different players. Drew Ripepi (1-for-3) belted the seventh-inning home run, with Kelvin Agosto (1-for-3) and Daniel Smith (1-for-2) both singling.
Western Carolina (27-15, 8-4 SoCon) returns home for a three-game Southern Conference series against mountain rival East Tennessee State (25-13, 8-4 SoCon), slated to open on Friday. The Catamounts and Bucs are mired in a three-way tie for second in the SoCon behind league-leading Wofford (30-11, 8-1), the first league team to 30 wins this season. ETSU fell at Appalachian State on Tuesday night, 3-1.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
