The Western Carolina baseball team struck early with an eight-run first inning to take the eventual 16-0 win over the Presbyterian College Blue Hose in action this afternoon in Cullowhee, N.C.

Western Carolina improves to 21-9, while PC falls to 10-22.  The Blue Hose return to Big South play April 11-13, when they host Winthrop in a three-game series beginning with a 3 p.m. game Friday.  The two teams square off at 2 pm., Saturday and at 1 p.m., Sunday.  

Leading the Catamount offense was J.D. Long, who went four-for-five with three RBI.  He was followed by Cody Jones, who went three-for-four with four RBI, and Bradley Strong who went three-for-five with three RBI.

Bryan Sammons was solid on the mound for WCU, throwing 6.0 innings of five-hit shut-out baseball to move to 6-1 on the year.

Pacing PC was Nate Chong, who collected two hits on the day.  Brian Kehner took the loss for the Blue Hose, going 0.1 inning and surrendering two earned runs off three hits.

The Catamounts drew first blood with a solo home run by B. Strong to lead off the bottom of the first.  WCU would tack on seven more in the inning, including two off a two-RBI single from Long and three off a Jones three-RBI triple, to take the 8-0 lead after the first.

The Blue Hose mounted a rally in the second with back to back singles from Paul and Chong, but PC flied out and hit into a double play to end the threat and inning.

Western Carolina added a run in each of the next four innings to lead 12-0 after five.

PC put a runner on first and third with two outs off a walk by Billy Motroni and a walk by Robert Moss, but a PC line out ended the inning with the Blue Hose still scoreless.

The Catamounts added three in the seventh, two off a two-RBI single by Reese Strong, and another run in the eighth off a Long RBI single, to take the eventual 16-0 win.