March 7, 2006

Western Carolina vs. Pittsburgh - Game One
Western Carolina vs. Pittsburgh - Game Two

Cullowhee, N.C. - Despite receiving a record outing on the mound by freshman Mendy McKenzie in game one, Western Carolina dropped its first two home games on Tuesday, falling 8-3 and 13-1 to the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Catamount Softball Complex. In the first game of the afternoon twin bill, the rookie right-hander from Clemmons, N.C., broke her own school record of 10 strikeouts by fanning 11. The Catamounts also set a school lowlight with a record six errors in the second game.

McKenzie threw six and a third in the opener, surrendering all eight runs on eight hits with four walks while striking out the record 11. Sophomore Savannah Filley pitched the final two thirds of an inning, striking out one. In the second game, Filley tossed three and two thirds giving up nine runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Freshman Jenny Jackson came on in relief to close out the final inning and a third and allowed four runs on four hits with no walks.

Pittsburgh (5-8) plated four runs in the top half of the second inning to break open a scoreless ball game, using a leadoff walk, a ground ball out, and a single up the middle to plate the first run. Back-to-back singles scored the second run as Mary Hecker, who drove in the first run, touched home on the second one-bagger by Francesca DiMaria. She, too, would score, as would Joey Scarf for the four-run lead.

The Catamounts battled back in the home half of the third with a two-spot to cut the Panther lead in half. Freshman Samm Keppel reached on an error by the Pitt second baseman and moved to second on a sophomore Heather Pritchard walk. She was driven home when freshman Allyson McCubbins singled to center field, with Pritchard holding at third. Freshman Stephanie Beatty reached on a fielders choice that was hit into shallow right field and was fielded by the right fielder and tossed to second for the force out on McCubbins, but scored Pritchard for the second run.

Western (10-7) would add an additional run in the bottom of the fourth as Jackson belted a two-out solo homer over the wall in left center to pull Western within one, 4-3. However, the Panthers scored one in the visitor half of the sixth and three in the top of the seventh to pull away for the final, 8-3, tally.

In the second game, the Panthers touched up WCU starting pitcher, Savannah Filley, for nine runs through the first three and two thirds innings en route to the 13-1, five inning affair. Western took a short-lived, 1-0, lead in the home half of the first as McCubbins singled to left to lead things off. Two batters later, junior Ashley Adams singled, as did Filley, to load the bases with Cats. McCubbins plated the lone WCU run when Beatty reached on an error by the shortstop.

Aided by six total WCU errors, Pitt rallied in the second with six runs and eventually chased Filley by scoring three in the fourth for the 9-1 lead. The Panthers pushed its lead to 12 with four runs in the top of the fifth inning for the final tally, 13-1.

All told, Western stranded 13 batters on the day, nine in game two alone. The Catamounts also were forced to play with a patchwork infield as injuries to starters Mollie Fowler (broken leg suffered vs. St. Francis) and Samm Keppel (spiked on a caught stealing) had different players filling in along the middle infield.

McCubbins led the Catamounts on the afternoon, going 4-for-7 with two doubles and a run scored. Also tallying a multiple hit day was Filley who went 2-for-5. After recording 13 home runs in its last seven games, Western was only able to deliver one long ball, Jackson's drive in game one which was her lone hit of the afternoon.

Western returns to action this Friday at Noon, visiting the 2006 adidas/Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C. The Catamounts will face the host Eagles at Terry Field in the opening game of the 16-team tournament. WCU is also slated to face Gardner-Webb on Friday (6:00 pm) and UNC Wilmington on Saturday (10:00 am) in pool play before entering bracket competition.