CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team fell on Tuesday evening by the score of 7-6 at the hands of Western Carolina at Hennon Stadium. Kyle Merkle and Kyle Decker each homered in Tuesday's defeat.
FINAL SCORE: Western Carolina 7, Presbyterian 6
LOCATION: Childress Field at Hennon Stadium (Cullowhee, N.C.)
RECORDS: Presbyterian (18-31) | Western Carolina (19-28)
W: Dylan Wheeler (3-1) | L: Will Farrar (0-1) | Save: Coby Ingle (2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Joel Dragoo opened the scoring for the Blue Hose in the first with an RBI single to get the early edge on Tuesday.
- Western Carolina had a quick answer in the home half of the first with a three-run homer to take the 3-1 lead after an inning.
- Kyle Decker helped the Blue Hose inch closer with a solo homer in the third to cut the deficit to one, 3-2 after 2.5 innings.
- In the fourth, Trey Fenderson evened the score at three with a sacrifice fly before Kyle Merkle connected on a two-run homer down the left field line to make it a 5-3 PC lead after 3.5 innings.
- WCU tied the game at five in the seventh with a pair of runs to make it a 5-5 game headed to the eighth inning.
- The Catamounts gained the lead in the eighth with a pair of runs to make it a 7-5 WCU lead as the two teams headed for the ninth inning.
- Jack Gorman picked up a sacrifice fly in the ninth to cut the WCU lead to one before the hosts secured the midweek non-conference victory on Tuesday night.
NOTABLES
- Brody Fahr picked up his team-high 19th multi-hit game of the season with a pair of base hits.
- Merkle also tallied a pair of hits which included the seniors' fifth homer of the 2023 season.
- Dalton Reeves picked up his 13th double of the season on Tuesday to tie the team-high for PC.
- Decker added his third homer of the season in the third inning to help cut an early deficit to one for the Blue Hose. He has now reached base safely in each of his last five games.
- Merkle and Decker's home runs mark the 12th time this season PC has connected on two or more homers in the same game.
- The two sacrifice flies courtesy of Gorman and Fenderson mark the first time since April 22nd against Gardner-Webb and the fourth time this season the Blue Hose have had two or more sac flies in the same game.
UP NEXT
- PC is set to close out its home slate beginning on Friday with a 6 p.m. first pitch against Longwood. The series continues Saturday at 6 p.m. for senior night before the home finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
