WCU Rallies Past Davidson Late, 8-6

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CULLOWHEE, N.C. – A grand slam by Adam Martin in the seventh inning spoiled a 12-strikeout gem by RHP Danny Mooney and ignited a Western Carolina comeback, as the Catamounts rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Davidson, 8-6, in a crucial Southern Conference baseball contest Thursday evening.

Western Carolina improved to 35-16 and reclaimed first place in the Southern Conference at 18-6. Davidson fell to 28-15 and 17-6 in league play, and will now need to win both ends of a doubleheader Friday, which starts at 2 p.m., to wrestle the SoCon title from the Catamounts.

Davidson carried a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, but Martin's grand slam pulled Western Carolina within one, and the Catamounts scored three in the eighth. A two-RBI double by first baseman Jacob Hoyle (2-for-5) drove in the winning runs.

The Wildcats pounded out 16 hits to Western's nine but stranded 13 runners. Left fielder Lee Miller paced the offense, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and two RBIs, while third baseman Ben Arkin also went 3-for-5. Centerfielder Forrest Brandt went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk.

After yielding a run on two hits, a wild pitch on strike three and a hit batsmen in the first inning, Mooney was dominant through the next five innings, and he entered the seventh inning having given up just five hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts. However, pinch-hitter Danny Bermudez led the seventh off by reaching first on another third-strike wild pitch. Second baseman Bradley Strong, who paced the WCU offense by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, then singled, and an error on a potential double play ball loaded the bases for Martin, who hit a grand slam to left field.

Mooney left after Martin's homer, finishing with a career-high 12 strikeouts.

RHP Michael Goldberg (3-3) entered the eighth inning with one out and a runner on first, and after walking a batter, induced a ground out for the second out as the runners advanced a base. However, Goldberg was unable to get close calls in his favor during Martin's at-bat, and he walked him after a full count to load the bases. A passed ball during Hoyle's at-bat allowed the game-tying run to score, and Hoyle sent a fly ball to the left field corner in a full count to drive in the go-ahead runs from second and third.

Davidson stranded its first seven base runners of the game, even loading the bases with no outs in the second inning, before Brandt's two-RBI single in the fifth inning gave the Wildcats their first lead, 2-1.

Miller added to the lead in the sixth, hitting a two-run home run to left-center field, and designated hitter Ryan Lowe (2-for-4) drove in the third-and-final run of the inning with an infield single following a double by third baseman David Daniels (2-for-4), who had advanced to third on a wild pitch. Miller doubled with two outs in the seventh and scored on a single by catcher Daniel Gerow (1-for-4) for what proved to be the 'Cats' final run of the game.

RHP Jordan Smith struck out nine in 5.1 innings for the Catamounts, but allowed the first four runs on eight hits and three walks. RHP T.J. Fussell (6-2) gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 2.2 innings, earning the win. RHP Tyler Powell earned his 12th save of the season after yielding just a hit in the ninth.

Davidson will send RHP Nick Neitzel (7-0, 3.29 ERA) to the mound Friday, while RHP Jeremy Null (5-3, 2.73 ERA) is slated to throw the first pitch of the doubleheader at 2 p.m.

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Ben Arkin

Lee Miller

David Daniels

Ryan Lowe

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