March 11, 2006

Final Stats

Rock Hill, S.C. - After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, the Western Carolina Catamounts endured an eight-run, seven-hit barrage in the home half by the UNC Wilmington Seahawks to trail, 8-1. However, WCU chipped away at the advantage and scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to win its pool play finale, 11-9, over UNCW.

The win was Western's second-straight at the 2006 adidas/Winthrop Invitational giving the Catamounts a 2-1 overall record, tied with UNC Wilmington and Winthrop. As per tie breaking policies, Winthrop earned the number one seed from the pool, with Western garnering the second seed as per its head-to-head win over UNCW. The Catamounts will face the Furman Paladins for the second-straight weekend in non-conference action. The game is scheduled to start at 4:00 pm, but due to the on-going action, the game is not expected to begin until after 4:30 pm.

Freshman right hander Jenny Jackson earned her fourth win of the season, coming on in relief in the third inning. In four complete innings, she only allowed one run while scattering six hits and striking out four with two walks. She also contributed at the plate for the Catamounts, going 1-for-3 with a walk and her first career grand slam home run. Freshman Mendy McKenzie secured her first career save, throwing a perfect bottom of the seventh with one strikeout.

The Catamounts lit the scoreboard first in the top of the second on an RBI single by freshman Beth Hauser, scoring Jackson who had reached on a fielders choice. But the Seahawks returned fire in the bottom of the inning, plating eight runs, four of which came off of home runs. UNCW led off with a solo shot to left center, then belted a three-run shot to right center. The `Hawks finished the inning with another three-run blast to straight away center and concluded the barrage with a solo shot to left center to lead 8-1.

In the third, Western began to chip away at the Seahawk advantage. Freshman Allyson McCubbins walked to lead off the inning, and was advanced to second by sophomore Heather Pritchard, who singled through the left side. Her classmate, Savannah Filley, loaded the bases with a walk and two batters later, Jackson delivered the long ball, plating four runs to cut the deficit to three, 8-5.

The next inning, McCubbins reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second when Pritchard walked. Filley delivered a single up the middle to load the bases for a second-consecutive inning. Junior Ashley Adams drove in a run when she was hit by a pitch and Jackson grounded out to second to drive in the second run of the inning, pulling WCU to within one, 8-7. Yet, UNC Wilmington inched further ahead in the fifth on two singles, scoring one to pull out to a 9-7 lead.

In the sixth, with Filley on first, junior Ashley Adams punched one out down the left field line to tie the game at 9, where it stood entering the top half of the seventh inning. In the deciding frame, McCubbins drew a one out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Pritchard singled to right, scoring McCubbins. On the throw in, Pritchard advanced to second, then scored from second when the Seahawk third baseman threw the ball in to center field attempting to catch Pritchard at second.

The two-run lead would be all McKenzie would need, earning the save in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Freshman Lauren Ross earned her second-career start, pitching two innings and giving up four earned runs on four hits with five walks. She was lifted - and reinserted - in the second inning by Filley, who struggled through four batters faced giving up three runs on four hits.

The rally from down 8-1 marks the second-consecutive tournament in which the Cats have rallied from down the same tally. Western came from behind to beat Northern Colorado at the Charleston Southern Spring Invitational, 15-8.