CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Carter Grote went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs and Elliott Warford pitched 2 2 /3 innings of solid relief to lift Furman past Western Carolina in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon at Hennon Stadium.
Grote, a freshman from Pittsburgh, Pa., making his first career start at third base, stroked a two-out, two-run single in the first inning, singles and scored in the third, and delivered an RBI single in three-run ninth, helping Furman (12-23, 3-8 SoCon) break a 6-6 tie en route to the victory.
The win halted Furman's seven-game losing skid and also snapped a 12-game winning streak by SoCon frontrunner Western Carolina (23-10, 9-2 SoCon).
Furman grabbed a 3-0 in its first turn at bat on the strength of Grote's two-run single off Western Carolina starter T.J. Fussell that scored Alex Abrams and Jake Jones.
The Paladins led 3-2 after two frames before scoring three more in the third. Heath Burton's two-run triple to left center field made it 5-2, and Burton later scored on a two-out throwing error to stretch the lead to 6-2.
Western Carolina chipped away by plating single runs in the third and fifth innings, and tied it at 6-6 with two runs in the seventh on RBI singles by Jacob Hoyle and Luke Gragg.
Warford, who came on with one out in the seventh, got the Paladins out of the inning by inducing a double play grounder off the bat of Danny Bermudez.
Furman, which put its first two batters on in the eighth but failed to score, did it again in the ninth after Hunter Burton drew a leadoff walk and Jake Jones singled. The Paladins failed to execute a sacrifice attempt, and Chris Ohmstede's fly out left runners at first and third with two out. A muffed throw at first base on a Jordan Simpson grounder allowed Burton to score, after which Grote steered a single through the left side to drive home Jones. Jarrod Rickman's infield single scored Simpson to cap the three-run frame.
Warford (2-2) allowed a single in the bottom of the ninth but closed out the Catamounts. He allowed a pair of hits and struck out two to notch the win.
Simpson trailed Grote in the hit column by going 3-for-5 and scoring two runs. Jones had two hits and scored two runs, as did Hunter Burton, who walked three times and notched his SoCon leading 27th stolen base.
Furman starting pitcher Jacques de Gruy worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. He walked three and recorded a career high 10 strikeouts.
Western Carolina, which matched Furman with 12 hits, was paced at the plate by Dykota Spiess, who went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Adam Martin and Cody Jones also had two hits for WCU.
The loss was charged to Colton Davis (3-2), who gave up the three unearned runs in the ninth inning.
Sunday's series finale is set for 1:00 p.m.
