Catamounts Drop Sunday’s Series Finale at Samford

Trent Turner hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season to give Western Carolina life in the fourth inning, and Jack Spyke legged out his conference-leading 16th double of the year, but Samford salvaged Sunday’s series finale 7-1 in Southern Conference action at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Samford jumped out to a 3-0 lead two innings into the finale before Turner made it a two-run game with a lead-off homer to begin the fourth. Spyke followed the long ball with a walk to reach for the second time in the contest before Elijah Smith roped a two-out double into right-center to put two into scoring position. However, the Catamounts would get no closer as an infield groundout thwarted the rally.

The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the fourth with runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to take a 5-1 lead and added insurance solo markers in the seventh and eighth innings while keeping WCU off the scoreboard for the win.

Despite seeing its season-long five-game win streak snapped, the Catamounts collected their second-straight SoCon series win after taking 2-of-3 against both Wofford and Samford.

Turner (2-for-4) led the Catamounts offensively with a homer, while the remaining four hits were spread between four hitters. Spyke (1-for-3) reached twice by accompanying his early double with the squad’s lone walk, while Smith (1-for-3) also collected a two-base hit. Brayden Corn (1-for-4) and Wyatt Stanley (1-for-4) added singles for the Catamounts.

The Bulldogs collected a dozen base hits with four players posting multi-hit games, including Angel Prieto (3-for-4) with a double, Jackson Harris (2-for-5), Cade Carr (2-for-5), and Parker McDonald (2-for-4). Matthew Strand (1-for-3) doubled home two, and McDonald added a pair of RBI.

Western Carolina missed a few opportunities to change the complexion of Sunday’s finale, leaving two runners on as Turner and Spyke reached on two-out base hits in the opening frame. A caught-stealing ran WCU out of the third inning, with Smith and Spyke left on base in the lone run-scoring frame in the fourth. The Catamounts also left a lead-off single by Wyatt Stanley aboard in the top of the seventh inning.

All told, though, WCU sent the minimum to the dish five times in the loss.

Owen Austin (3-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts over four innings in the starting role. Brandon Langley tossed two innings out of the bullpen, with a run allowed on four hits and a strikeout against two walks. Carter Burnette and Evan Langston both tossed a relief inning, with Burnette facing the minimum and Langston striking out one with a run allowed on one hit.

Samford’s third starter, Mason Blasche (7-0), remained perfect on the year as he struck out seven while limiting the Catamounts to one run on five hits over a six-inning start. Josh Leerssen collected his second save of the year, tossing the final three frames of one-hit, scoreless relief with four strikeouts.

Western Carolina (22-21, 6-9 SoCon) makes a brief pit stop at home for a midweek nonconference meeting with Gardner-Webb (16-28) on Tuesday against the third-straight opposing Bulldog moniker. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). WCU has won two of the three seasonal meetings against Gardner-Webb, and a fourth meeting scheduled in Boiling Springs was canceled.