Making their first trip to Cullowhee as a member of the Southern Conference, Samford came into town looking to extend the Catamounts struggles, but were unable to. Going into the series, Western had lost three of their last four games, including two against Clemson, but worked out their kings to tame the Bulldogs twice out of a three game set.
Western Carolina was strong offensively in the first game of the series on Friday, April 17, putting up seven runs on the scoreboard, but the Bulldogs managed to top the Catamounts by pushing a run across in the top of the tenth inning and holding WCU scoreless in the bottom of the frame.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the top of the ninth when Mason Meredeth doubled off the left field wall and drove home the Bulldogs seventh run. In the tenth inning, Joe Durham entered the game as a pinch hitter and took the pitch up the middle for a go-ahead single. The game ended when the Catamounts grounded into a game ending double play. On Saturday, Apr. 18, Samford and Western Carolina were forced to add an additional game on because of predicted rainfall for Sunday. In game one of the double header, the Catamounts were out to avenge their loss on Friday and they did just that by slugging five homeruns in a 26-5 rout of the Bulldogs. The Catamounts wasted little time in taking the lead from over the Bulldogs; Matt Johns hit a grand slam, driving in four of the Catamounts five first inning runs. The five runs in the first inning was not the Catamounts best inning in victory, however, as in the third inning Western plated seven runs and broke open the game. The offensive output was a true team effort with 16 Catamounts getting at bats in the game.
In the nightcap of the double header, Western’s power surge continued to allow the Catamounts to win the series. Unlike the first game, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead but the Catamounts refused to let that be the case for long as in the second inning they captured the lead by putting up four runs on the board. Just like the first game, Western Carolina used a seven run fifth inning to push the game out of reach. The big blast of the inning came off the bat of J.C. Lyons who blasted a two run home run deep over the “purple monster” in left field. Ross Heffley drove in Nick Liles with a triple-the first of his career; Liles added to the scoring later in the inning when he drove in two runs with a double. In both games of the double header, Brent Greer was on fire and proved to be almost a one man wrecking crew, getting eight hits in eleven at bats. Greer had two doubles and a home run on the day and tied Nick Liles for the most RBI’s on the day with six runs batted in.
