Cullowhee, N.C. –
Carter Burnette struck out a career-high 12 over a career-long 9.0 innings in the complete game effort on the mound for Western Carolina on Thursday in the Southern Conference series-opener against UNC Greensboro. However, the Catamounts were unable to provide enough offense against the Spartan pitching tandem of Noah Chapman and John Horton, as UNCG upset WCU, 2-1, at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Burnette (2-8) limited UNCG to just two runs on just five hits, working around a pair of walks with the 12 punchouts to outduel Chapman, who exited after seven innings. The Asheville, N.C., native had five Ks through the first two innings, fanning the side in the first inning as part of four, multi-strikeout innings. He closed his effort with his 11th and 12th punchouts in the ninth inning.
However, Western Carolina could never find timely hitting, unable to capitalize on six walks and stranded seven base runners in the loss.
UNCG's Jacob Budzik (1-for-3) skirted the fence in left-center for a fourth-inning, two-run home run that provided enough separation for the visitors to hold on for the series-opening victory.
Game two of the three-game SoCon series is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m., at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium, and will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
WCU's loss relegated the Catamounts to 12-7, and coupled with Mercer's 9-7 road win over ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn., moved the Bears (13-6) ahead of WCU in the conference standings with two games to play. The Catamounts are a game ahead of the two-way tie between Samford and Wofford, both at 11-8, as the two meet in Birmingham, Ala. ETSU slipped below the fourth-place, single-elimination cut line into fifth at 10-9.
The Catamounts (33-21, 12-7 SoCon) drew a two-out walk in the third and a lead-off walk to start the fourth, but stranded both runners at first base.
Wyatt Stanley (1-for-4) collected the squad's first hit on a fifth-inning, one-out single but was left standing at the right-side corner.
WCU's best opportunities came in the sixth and seventh innings.
Jackson Lyda and Turner drew back-to-back walks to start the sixth before the next three batters were retired in order to strand both. The Catamounts also had two aboard in the seventh, twice putting a runner 90 feet away from home, but were unable to get a run on the board. Stanley was tagged out at home on a shovel-scoop from Chapman on a check-swing contact play, with
Jaylen Jones and
Trey Spees both left at the corners.
In the ninth,
Noah Quarless (1-for-3) gave the Catamounts life with a one-out solo home run to left field, but Horton closed his two-inning save with a strikeout and a game-ending pop-up. Quarless and Turner both reached base a team-high twice, with Turner walking twice and Quarless adding a free pass to his late homer.
Chapman (4-6) collected the victory for UNCG, tossing seven, one-hit, scoreless innings, and worked around six walks with six strikeouts. Horton fanned four over two frames with a run surrendered on the Quarless homer.
UNCG's five hits were spread among four batters, with Jacob Dilley legging out a triple with a single, with Ethan Brittain (1-for-2) doubling and Budzik homering, as three of the five Spartan hits went for extra bases.
The series continues Friday with a 5 p.m. start in Cullowhee.
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