CULLOWHEE, N.C. — Appalachian State University baseball took the field against Western Carolina for the first time since moving to the Sun Belt Conference on Tuesday at Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts (17-19, 8-7 SoCon) scored nine runs in the bottom of the third inning and went on to defeat the Mountaineers (11-29, 4-16 Sun Belt), 18-15.
After a scoreless first inning, Appalachian got out to an early lead when Chandler Seagle reached on an error by the WCU third baseman allowing Drake Zupcic to score. One batter later, Brandon Burris fired a pitch right back pitcher, reached safely, and brought Carson Jones across the plate.
Western Carolina would answer with four runs of their own in the bottom of the second on five hits and one Mountaineer error to take a 4-2 lead.
WCU's Dillon Bray started the third inning by walking his first two batters and then hit Noah Holmes to load the bases. Zupcic drew a walk sending Michael Pierson across the plate. Matt Brill would then score on a sacrifice fly by Jones, and Brian Bauk's RBI single into right center drove Holmes home.
The Catamount offense exploded for nine runs in the third inning and broke the ball game open. Starting pitcher Reed Howell got the second out after giving up a double and looked to be out of the inning when WCU's Garrett Brown grounded to short stop, but a throwing error by Jones allowed a run to score and kept the inning alive. Western tacked on eight more unearned runs and took a 13-5 lead into the fourth.
The Mountaineers responded with a big inning of their own, plating six runs with the help of a Zupcic two RBI single and a two RBI double from Seagle. Pierson added a run on a wild pitch before Burris drove in Seagle with a single to left field. The rally brought Appalachian within two runs which is as close as they would be the rest of the way.
Western extended their advantage with a three-run home run to right center field off Luke Watts in the bottom of the fourth.
Down 18-13, Appalachian tried to make things interesting in the ninth. Avery Jackson reached base on catcher's interference and then advanced to second on a past ball. Two more wild pitches sent Jackson home. The Apps would take on more run on another Jones sacrifice fly, but the rally came up short with Bauk grounding to second base for the final out.
The Mountaineers will try to get some payback on their former SoCon rival when the Catamounts come to Boone on Wednesday for the back end of the home-and-home series.
