April 23, 2006

Western Carolina at UNC Greensboro - Game One

Western Carolina at UNC Greensboro - Game Two

Greensboro, N.C. - Western Carolina won both games of a Southern Conference softball doubleheader over UNC Greensboro on Sunday to complete the three-game weekend sweep at UNCG Softball Stadium. The Catamounts held on for the 5-4 win in game one despite being out hit 12-to-6, then received a complete game shutout from freshman Jenny Jackson and a pair of home runs to take game two, 4-0.

Playing two games on Sunday after inclement weather on Saturday forced the cancellation of the scheduled twin bill, Western (35-16, 12-2) maintained its hold on first place after the College of Charleston - WCU's next SoCon foe - won two of three from Furman on the weekend. The Catamounts won their fifth-consecutive conference series and pushed their current winning streak to five and have now won 11 of their last 12 games.

Western was led freshman Allyson McCubbins, who went a combined 4-for-7 (.571) with double and a three-run home run in the fourth inning of the second game to account for all three of her RBI with a 1.143 slugging percentage on the day. Freshman Stephanie Beatty recorded two hits on the day, one coming as a solo home run, with sophomore Savannah Filley and junior Ashley Adams also tallying a pair of hits as Adams blasted her SoCon-record 19th round-tripper in game one.

UNCG (18-33, 3-12 SoCon) started the first game by pushing across a run in the opening inning for a 1-0 lead. Krista Judge singled up the middle on the first pitch of the game and stole second to get herself into scoring position. Judge then advanced to third on an Adriane Audley sacrifice and scored on a Jennifer Bonilla single through the left side.

The Catamounts swung the lead in their favor in the second with two unearned runs to take a 2-1 advantage. With the bases loaded and two outs, freshman Samm Keppel bounced a routine grounder to second for what seemed to be the final out of the inning. However, Lyndsay Mouse's throw to Audley, who was covering second base, was wide of the bag and allowed two runners in the form of freshman Lauren Ross and Adams to cross home plate.

The starting pitchers for both teams then took over for the next couple of innings. Western's Mendy McKenzie set down nine-straight Spartan hitters, while UNCG's Hannah Angel only allowed a walk during the third and fourth innings. McKenzie finished her 19th complete game surrendering four runs, three of which were earned, and striking out six versus one walk to claim her SoCon-leading 20th victory of the season in a 100-pitch performance.

Adams broke the scoreless streak in the fifth, blasting her team-leading 19th homer of the season, a two-run shot, to give the Catamounts a 4-1 lead. The bottom of the frame started nicely for UNCG as Kara Clouser lined a double on the first pitch she saw all the way to the centerfield wall. Vanessa Oakes followed with an infield single to set up runners on first and second for the Spartans with no outs. Heather Branche was called upon to lay down a bunt, but her attempt lined right to the first baseman, who promptly tossed over to first base to double up Oakes. With Judge batting, Clouser went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Judge singled softly to second base to cut the Spartan deficit to 4-2. Audley then laced a single to right field and on the throw back into the infield, Adams' attempt to throw out Audley at first base was not handled by Western first baseman Lauren Ross, which allowed Judge to score all the way from first base to make it a 4-3 ball game. Bonilla then singled advancing Audley to third, but Kelly Allen grounded out to end the threat.

Each team then pushed across another run in the sixth to maintain Western's slim lead, now at 5-4. The Spartans put together one last rally in the seventh as Bonilla singled up the middle for her third hit of the game. Koury Duncan came on to pinch run for Bonilla and would move to second on a sacrifice by Allen. With the game-tying run at second and only one out, Mouse and Stephanie Talarek were unable to get Duncan home as the score was stuck at 5-4 in favor of Western.

The series finale was not nearly as thrilling as starter, rookie right hander Jackson, notched her third shutout of the season by allowing only five hits and striking out three hitters to run her season record to 12-4.

A pair of Catamount homers, a solo shot by Beatty in the second and a three-run blast by McCubbins in the fourth - her 11th of the season - would prove to be all the league-leaders would need to maintain their grip on first place in the conference.

The Spartans best chance to score came in the first when Audley singled, Bonilla walked and Mouse reached on an error to load the bases with two outs, but Talarek grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

UNCG starter Danielle Byrne, who already had two complete game victories to her credit this week, suffered the loss to fall to 4-6 on the campaign. She allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work.

Western Carolina will have a short turnaround, hosting Gardner-Webb on Tuesday afternoon in Cullowhee in the final non-conference action of the season. The Catamounts and Bulldogs will play a doubleheader at the Catamount Softball Complex with the first pitch slated for 4:00 pm. WCU defeated the Atlantic-Sun Conference-member earlier this season in the only other meeting between the two schools, 12-3, at the 2006 adidas/Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Catamounts will remain at home this coming weekend, hosting the College of Charleston in a battle for first-place in the Southern Conference in the final home series of the inaugural season. The three-game set begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00 pm, followed by a single-game on Sunday at 1:00 pm.