CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Interstat) — Noah Quarless launched a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning Friday afternoon, capping a dramatic comeback as Western Carolina rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat George Washington 7-5 in the season opener for both teams at Hennon Stadium.

The Catamounts, who trailed 5-0 after three innings, tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before Quarless delivered the decisive blow in the extra frame.

George Washington’s Revolutionaries came out swinging, staking starter Max Haug to a quick lead. Robby Lavey hit a solo homer in the first inning, and two batters later, Connor Rogan added a two-run shot. The lead ballooned to five in the third when Charlie Walsh connected on a two-run homer, scoring Tim Jones, who had doubled.

Western Carolina starter Davis Wright lasted just three innings, allowing all five runs on seven hits. He was relieved by Mason Snyder, who provided critical stability with five scoreless innings of work, scattering four hits and striking out four to keep the Catamounts within striking distance.

The Western Carolina offense, held hitless through three innings, broke through in the fourth against Haug. Mason Holton’s RBI double sparked a four-run rally. The Catamounts plated their runs on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded by Elijah Smith, a sacrifice fly by Quarless, an RBI single by Brody Raleigh and a run-scoring groundout by Jackson Lyda.

From there, the game evolved into a bullpen duel. Snyder and George Washington relievers Gino Miller and Michael Bruno kept the score at 5-4 into the late innings. Western Carolina squandered opportunities, grounding into two double plays to stifle potential rallies.

The Catamounts finally broke through to tie it in the ninth against Bruno. Raleigh led off with a double, was sacrificed to third by Lyda, and scored with two outs on a clutch RBI double by Drew Spees, sending the game to extra innings.

After Owen Austin worked a perfect top of the 10th for Western Carolina, Wyatt Stanley drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half. Smith’s sacrifice bunt moved him to second, setting the stage for Quarless. The catcher drove a pitch over the center field wall, setting off a celebration and giving the Catamounts the victory.

The most important sequence of the game was Western Carolina’s two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth. Facing their final out and down to their last strike at times, the Catamounts refused to lose. Brody Raleigh’s leadoff double provided the initial spark. After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Drew Spees fell behind in the count but fought back to lace a double into right field, scoring Raleigh and dramatically extending the game. Without that resilient at-bat, Quarless’s 10th-inning heroics would not have been possible.

George Washington out-hit Western Carolina 11 to 10 but went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position after the third inning. Lavey, Rogan, Walsh and Jones each had two hits for the Revolutionaries. For Western Carolina, Holton, Stanley, Smith, Quarless, Raleigh and Lyda—the bottom six in the batting order—combined for all 10 Catamount hits and drove in all seven runs.

With the win, Western Carolina opens its season 1-0, while George Washington begins 0-1. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Western Carolina had a 66.6% pregame probability to win.