Western Carolina scored four runs in the 10th inning and defeated the VMI baseball team 8-5 in a Southern Conference game Sunday from Gray-Minor Stadium.
The Keydets took a 4-1 lead after four innings but right-hander Zebby Matthews threw 6.1 innings of stellar relief to give the Catamounts a chance to come back. The right-hander scattered seven hits and one walk with one earned run while striking out nine to pick up the victory. Pascanel Ferreras was 3-4 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI for the Catamounts (20-23/5-7 SoCon).
Zac Morris hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Will Knight and Cole Garrett hit solo shots in the fourth to put VMI ahead 4-1. WCU scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth to tie the game and neither team would score again until extra innings. Morris doubled home Knight in the 10th to cut the lead to three with two outs but Matthews closed out the game.
Garrett had three hits which included the home run and a triple, while Trey Morgan, Knight and Morris each had two hits.
Will Lopez tossed four innings of relief for VMI, allowing four hits, one walk and one earned run with five strikeouts and Ben Capehart struck out the only batter he faced.
The Keydets (13-31/4-8) travel to the University of Richmond Tuesday for a non-conference game at 2:30 p.m.