March 1, 2006

WCU vs. St. Francis - Game One Box Score

WCU vs. St. Francis - Game Two Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Using nine extra base hits, including six home runs, Western Carolina recorded a two-game sweep of the St. Francis (Pa.) Red Flashes Wednesday afternoon, 10-0 in five innings and 5-4 at the Catamount Softball Complex. The Catamounts improve to 7-3 on the season, undefeated at their home venue in four attempts.

Freshman Mendy McKenzie, who has earned back-to-back Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, improved to 4-0 on the season by winning game one, 10-0. In five innings of work, she only surrendered two hits while fanning seven and walking none. Her classmate, Jenny Jackson, also stayed unbeaten, winning her second outing, 5-4, in game two. Jackson worked all seven innings, striking out four and did not surrender a base on balls. Although Jackson allowed four runs, only one was earned.

Junior Ashley Adams led Western on the day, hitting 4-for-5 with a double and a home run. Freshman Lauren Ross belted her team-leading third long ball of the season to give her a team-high nine RBI. Including Ross' shot, the Catamounts hit six total home runs over the two game set, with sophomore Savannah Filley delivering two long balls, and freshman Beth Hauser, junior Ashley Adams and sophomore Heather Pritchard homering. Pritchard's two-run shot in game two was the first of her career and provided the winning margin.

Of the six homers, Western hit back-to-back home runs in both games, a first in program history.

After scoring one run in the bottom of the first on a Ross RBI single, the Catamounts broke open game one with a four spot in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, freshman Stephanie Beatty delivered a two RBI single to right center. WCU again put three on and Filley drove in one on a sacrifice fly to center field, with the fourth run coming home on a arrant throw.

Western pushed its lead to 10 in the bottom of the fourth. Ross and Filley belted back-to-back home runs with one out marking the first time in program history. Consecutive singles by Adams and Keppel put two on for Fowler, who doubled to center scoring one in the form of freshman Sam Stepp, who pinch ran for Adams. Freshman Beth Hauser plated two on an single to center, scoring Fowler and Keppel to give WCU five in the frame.

McKenzie struck out one and induced two ground ball outs to end the game in five.

In game two of the twinbill, St. Francis jumped out in the top half of the second inning, 2-0, opening the frame with a double, a passed ball, and an RBI single. The Red Flash plated their second run on back-to-back wild pitches. However, in the home half of the same inning, the Catamounts rallied to tie the game at two using back-to-back long balls off the bat of Filley and Adams.

The Red Flash regained the advantage in the top of the third, manufacturing two runs to pull ahead, 4-2, but WCU again answered with a home run to straight away centerfield in the bottom of three off the bat of Hauser. Down two entering the bottom of the fourth, Western used Pritchard's heroics in the two-run shot to pull ahead, 5-4.

With the one-run lead, Jackson sat the next nine Red Flash batters down in order to record the win.

Western Carolina returns to action this weekend in tournament action at Charleston Southern. The Catamounts will face the Brown Bears at Noon on Friday at Gahagan Field, while also facing Northern Colorado on Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm. On Saturday, Western is scheduled to battle the Rutgers Scarlett Knights at 11:00 am and SoCon foe, Furman, in non-conference action at 3:00 pm. The tournament will conclude with bracket play both late Saturday and Sunday.