SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Despite Western Carolina jumping on top early, the Wofford baseball team shook it off to immediately reclaim the advantage and never look back en route to a 13-2 drubbing in seven innings at Russell C. King Field Friday evening. The Terriers improve to 28-11 (8-4 SoCon) with the Catamounts falling to 21-18 (6-7 SoCon).
 
Zac Cowan (6-1) spun another gem for Wofford, pitching all 7.0 innings, his second time going the distance in a run-rule triumph (March 29 at VMI). Cowan allowed two runs on six hits with two walks while fanning seven batters. He has struck out at least hitters in four-straight starts and in five of his last six outings.
 
"I think the mindset was just coming out there trying to repeat what we did last weekend, and I tried to stay to myself and do what I know I can do," said Cowan of his performance.
 
On the other end, the Catamounts were forced to dig deep into their bullpen in game one by using five arms. Starter Gavin Mortenson (2-4) was tagged with the loss after giving up eight runs on nine hits in 3.0 innings.
 
"It's a great first day. It sets us up in the long run with pitching," said Tyler Hare of the bullpen discrepancy after game one. "We played our game today and didn't really back down, and we played good baseball, so it was a lot of fun."
 
Marshall Toole led the daunting Terrier offense with three of the 13 hits. Toole clubbed his seventh homer of the season and added a triple with six RBI, a new career high. He was just a double short of the cycle in the contest. That three-bagger was his eighth of the season, setting a new program record for triples in a campaign to top Mac Doyle's mark of seven in 2011. Toole extended his on-base streak to 39 games, and he swiped a base for his national-leading 35^th steal of the season. He is now four shy of that single-season program record.
 
"That's just awesome," said Toole of his record-breaking triple. "And that's just a sign of the momentum that we've had as a team and just going into every game keeping the confidence up with everybody. It's a good way to start the weekend."
 
Four more Terriers added two hits, with Brice Martinez and Adam Haber each driving in two runs. Tyler Hare added an RBI of his own with one of his hits being a bunt single. Jack Renwick added a bunt single as one of his two hits, also driving in a run. Martinez and Renwick both hit a double. Daniel Jackson added a homer for his only hit, a solo shot for his sixth long ball of the campaign. Haber reached base four total times with a pair of walks added in. With a run scored, Renwick is now up to 179 in his career. The senior needs just one more to tie Lawson Hill for the most in a career at Wofford.
 
The Catamounts got on the board first early with a solo shot down the right field line. But the Terriers wasted no time responding in the bottom of the first with Marshall Toole playing copycat and delivering his own solo bomb. Not to be outdone, Daniel Jackson would do the same thing just two batters later, as his long ball to right made the score 2-1 in favor of Wofford.
 
And the Terriers would remain in control from there. Adam Haber singled in a run in the second, and Toole's sacrifice fly added a second to extend the lead to 4-1.
 
In the third, Tyler Hare put down a well-placed sacrifice bunt to push Brice Martinez home and make the margin 5-1.
 
Three more scored in the fourth, beginning with Toole's record triple that pushed two in. Martinez picked an RBI later in the inning with a fielder's choice bringing Toole across the plate. Wofford led 8-1.
 
But it was the fifth inning in which the Terriers truly busted the game open, plating five runs. After a walk and two singles loaded the bases, Haber remained patient to work his own walk and push across a run. Jack Renwick lifted a sacrifice fly that plated another, and Toole ripped a single back up the middle to score a pair. Martinez added his own comebacker base hit to tally an RBI, making the score 13-1.
 
The Catamounts finally found a response in the top of the sixth with a solo home run, but it was too little, too late. Cowan held firm on the hill from there and put the Catamounts down in order in the top of the seventh, sealing a 13-2 triumph for Wofford in game one.
 
The Terriers will look to claim the series with game two tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. This game will not be streamed, but live stats will be available online at woffordterriers.com. Game three on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. will be streamed on ESPN+.