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WCU wins two of three at Stetson Invitational
Western Carolina scored 11 runs over the final four innings Sunday, including three in the bottom of the ninth, to claim a 14-13 victory over defending Big 10 champion Illinois on the final day of the Stetson Invitational.
The Catamounts (3-2) won two of three games in the event.
Scott Ward hit his first home run of the season and was three of five at the plate with three RBIs. Steven Strausbaugh was two of four with three RBIs, and Donnie Wilson was three of five with two RBIs.
The Cats scored three times in the bottom of the sixth on Strausbaugh’s RBI single and Ward’s two-run homer cutting the gap to 10-6
The Illini made it 12-6 in the seventh, but Blake Murphy’s two-run double highlighted a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh narrowing the deficit to 12-10.
Illinois led 13-11 going into the bottom of the ninth. Grey Gregory and Wilson had RBI singles with the winning run scoring on an error.
Bryan Tupper (1-1) pitched the final two innings for the win.
WCU edged Stetson 4-3 Saturday as Barrett Shaft and Ward both went two of four.
Strausbaugh homered with a man on base in the first, and Western added single runs in the sixth and eighth.
Western starter Tyler Sexton (2-0) limited the Hatters to one run on three hits through seven innings. Brock Thornburg pitched the final two innings for the save.
Western stranded 19 runners Friday in a 4-3 setback in 13 innings to South Florida.
WCU rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the score. Murphy had an RBI single in the eighth while Trey McDaniel and Jonathan Greene singled in runs in the ninth.
The Bulls won the game in the bottom of the 13th on Joey Angleberger’s RBI single.
Tupper took the loss in relief.
McDaniel and Greene both had two hits.
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