In a four-hour, 10-inning game, the WCU Catamount baseball team was defeated by the Presbyterian Blue Hose by a score of 11-8, on April 27.
With a crowd of over 300 people in attendance at Hennon Stadium.
“It was nerve-wracking, to say the least,” Wade Raines, a Catamounts fan, said. “It was a tough game to lose.”
This would be the Catamounts’ first matchup with Presbyterian since March 9, when WCU creamed Presbyterian, 15-2, as the visitors. Wednesday’s game would be their ninth matchup against Presbyterian in WCU’s history.
From the first pitch to the last, it was an offensive slugfest. Both the Catamounts and the Blue Hose combined for 19 runs and 26 hits.
The Catamounts had some offensive standouts. Senior infielder Will Prater went 4-for-5, with two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Sophomore outfielder, Nate Stocum, went 3-for-5, with a single, a double, and a home run. He fell just shy of a triple for the cycle.
Senior outfielder Seth Graves hit a home run and scored two runs. Last but not least, there was Sophomore infielder Drew Needham, who came off the bench in the eighth inning and crushed a pinch-hit, game-tying two-run home run to right field.
What led to what Coach Bobby Moranda called a ‘disappointing loss’ was the pitching staff. The Catamounts used eight pitchers in the game, but couldn’t hold off Presbyterian’s offense.
Pitching standouts include Sophomore starting pitcher Nick Hyde, who pitched two innings, giving up one run, two hits, and striking out six batters.
Redshirt Senior Tristan Campbell pitched three scoreless and hitless innings, striking out three. Redshirt Sophomore Cole Beverlin pitched one scoreless inning, only allowing two hits.
But in the last four innings of the game, Presbyterian scored a combined nine runs against the Catamount pitchers.
First, Freshman pitcher Lucas Hartman gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in the seventh inning. Next, Sophomore pitcher Dawson Elder pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up one hit, one walk, and one run in the eighth inning.
Then Junior pitcher Davis Tyndall gave up one hit, one walk, and one run in the ninth inning. And finally, Sophomore pitcher Gavin Mortenson gave up the deciding three runs in the tenth inning, ultimately giving him the loss.
The Catamounts had the lead three times in the game, but couldn’t hold onto it. That was something that frustrated Catamount baseball head coach, Bobby Moranda.
“We had opportunities to win that game,” Moranda said after the game. “But we let them hang around and gave up nine runs in the last four innings….that’s not good.”
But he also stated that it is best to move on from the loss and focus on what is ahead.
“We need to learn from this,” Moranda said. “Flush this game out, get on the bus tomorrow, and be ready to go on Friday night.”
The Catamounts will go on the road to face the VMI Keydets on Friday, April 29, at 6:00 p.m. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.
