March 19, 2006

Western Carolina vs. Detroit

Western Carolina vs. UNC Wilmington

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina split two games on Sunday, defeating Detroit 7-1 to conclude round robin play unbeaten, but fell to UNC Wilmington, 9-1 in six innings in the championship game of the 2006 Best Western Catamount Classic. The Seahawks claimed the inaugural title in the event while also pushing their head coach, Melissa Jarrell, over the 300-career win mark on the weekend.

Western and UNCW led the all-tournament team selections, with the Seahawks garnering four including Most Outstanding Performer, Ali Gardiner, who led the tournament going 10-for-15 for a .667 batting average and 10 RBI. Joining Gardiner were Jennifer Bosley, Meghan Murray, and Jess Luckett for UNCW. For the Catamounts, freshman pitcher Jenny Jackson highlighted the honorary selections, with classmates Allyson McCubbins and Mendy McKenzie also named to the team. Rounding out the nine-person squad were LaRue Lucero from Alabama A&M; Jill Shondel from Charleston Southern; and Jacqueline Nortman from Detroit.

In the final game of round robin play, Western Carolina surged ahead with four runs in the top of the fourth inning en route to the 7-1 win over the Detroit Titans. McCubbins opened the game with a leadoff home run, driving a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for the early, 1-0 lead. The Catamounts would add another run two innings later when freshman Lauren Ross singled up the middle scoring junior Ashley Adams who delivered a one out single through the right side.

An inning later, WCU broke the game open taking advantage of two, one out walks. With McCubbins and Pritchard on, sophomore Savannah Filley belted a long ball over the right center field fence for the 5-0 lead. The Catamounts would push another run across in the frame as junior Nikki Bost worked the count full then singled to center to score Ross who had drawn the free pass on four straight pitches.

Detroit tallied a single run in the fifth as pinch hitter Kaleigh Rafter singled and moved around on a ground out and wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single by Nortman with two out. WCU would add an insurance run as Bost scored from third on a Titan field error on a ball hit by freshman Heather Pritchard.

McKenzie picked up her team-leading 10th victory of the season as she held the Titans hitless through the first four and a third. Scattering three hits, she allowed one earned run on the afternoon while striking out four and walking three. McCubbins led the Catamounts going 3-for-3 including her team-lead tying eighth home run, two walks, and two runs scored. Adams went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Filley drove in three runs on her fourth inning homer.

In the championship game, the UNC Wilmington bats awoke as the Seahawks pounded out 13 hits including five doubles and two home runs and starting pitcher Jess Luckett held the Catamounts at bay for the 9-1 victory.

Jackson (6-2) suffered the loss for Western after pitching the first three innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits and both walking and striking out one. Filley threw the final three innings in relief, allowing two runs on six hits and duplicating Jackson's efforts with a walk and a strikeout.

After a scoreless first, UNCW plated the game's first run in the visitor half of the second inning to take the early, 1-0, advantage. Western tried to answer in the bottom of the frame, by loading the bases with two outs. Freshman Stephanie Beatty was hit by an inside pitch and was advanced by a walk by classmate Beth Hauser and a Ross single to center field. However, the threat was handled when Seahawk starter, Luckett, induced a ground ball to the right side by freshman Samm Keppel. All told, Western stranded seven runners in the loss.

In the third, UNC Wilmington managed to pull away, plating a total of six runs on five hits in the inning. All-tournament teal selection Meghan Murray led off the inning with a double to left and was successfully moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Whitney Knudsen, moving Murray to third. MVP Gardiner then doubled to left, scoring Murray still with just one out. Gardiner proceeded to steal third base despite a near putout from McCubbins to Beatty. Pinch runner, Allison Mashburn, was plated by a third double in the frame and UNCW would add four more runs to pull ahead, 7-0 after two and a half.

The Catamounts would manage their only run of the game in the bottom of the third when Pritchard blasted a one out home run to right center.

Western Carolina returns to action on Tuesday, March 21 when it visits East Tennessee State in a non-conference tune-up before opening Southern Conference play on Saturday, March 25, hosting Furman in doubleheader action at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm before concluding the three-game set on Sunday, March 26 at 1:00 pm. The Catamounts and Lady Paladins have met twice previously this season, with each team garnering a win during tournament play.

2006 Best Western Catamount Classic All-Tournament Team

LaRue Lucero, Alabama A&M
Jill Shondel, Charleston Southern
Jacqueline Nortman, Detroit
Jennifer Bosley, UNC Wilmington
Jess Luckett, UNC Wilmington
Meghan Murray, UNC Wilmington
Jenny Jackson, Western Carolina
Allyson McCubbins, Western Carolina
Mendy McKenzie, Western Carolina

Most Outstanding Performer - Ali Gardiner, UNC Wilmington

Best Western Catamount Classic

Game Nine: Charleston Southern 7, Detroit 2

Cullowhee, N.C. - Charleston Southern used a four-run bottom of the fourth inning to hold off the Detroit Titans, 7-2, in game nine of the 2006 Best Western Catamount Classic. The loss ended the Titans' chances of advancing to the tournament's championship game.

Buccaneer starting pitcher Jill Shondel threw the seven inning complete game only allowing two runs on seven hits while fanning three. Shondell, who was named to the all-tournament team following the championship game on Sunday, led CSU at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple and a double and three runs scored. Shondell was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle. Right fielder Dorothy Page was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day while Jennifer Brooks equaled Shondel at 3-for-4 with a home run and a double.

For the Titans, the starter, Adriene Baran, was chased with two outs in the fourth having surrendered five earned runs on eight hits, adding two strikeouts. Lindsay Roy, who earned the victory on Saturday after only throwing one pitch against Alabama A&M, tossed the final two and a third innings, giving up two runs on three hits with one strikeout. Like CSU's Shondel, Roy led UDM offensively going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Left fielder Jacqueline Nortman went 1-for-3 with a double.