April 29, 2006

Western Carolina vs. College of Charleston - Game One

Western Carolina vs. College of Charleston - Game Two

Cullowhee, N.C. - Using an all-around team effort, Western Carolina swept the Southern Conference doubleheader from the second-place College of Charleston Cougars on Saturday afternoon, 8-6 and 2-1, at the Catamount Softball Complex. The Catamounts slugged out a dozen hits in game one and received five RBI from junior Ashley Adams to win, 8-6. In the second game of the twin bill, freshman Jenny Jackson held the Cougars hitless for three and a third innings and freshman Allyson McCubbins blasted a two-run homer in the 2-1 victory.

The two wins on Saturday guarantee Western a win in the SoCon series which hands the College of Charleston its first series loss since April 25, 2004 when the Cougars dropped two of three to then-conference member, East Tennessee State. WCU has not lost a conference series this season, winning at least two games over every conference foe faced to date.

The victories also move Western to within one game of capturing the 2006 Southern Conference regular season championship. With four games remaining (1 vs CofC, 3 at Georgia Southern), the Catamounts need just one more win to assure themselves the top spot in their inaugural season. No first-year team has ever won the SoCon regular season.

Western (39-16, 14-2 SoCon) had three players hit .500 on the day, led by Adams who blasted her SoCon-record 21st home run of the year, a three-run shot that cleared the scoreboard in left field in game one. McCubbins and classmate Samm Keppel also hit in half of their at bats on the day, with McCubbins recording her 12th round-tripper of the season and Keppel ripping her eighth two-bagger.

Behind freshman ace Mendy McKenzie, things started shaky for the league-leading Catamounts as CofC leadoff hitter, freshman Izmena Cabrera, took the fourth pitch of the game over the left field fence for the early, 1-0, lead for the visitors. McKenzie settled to retire two of the three outs in the frame on strikes.

The quick-strike offense of the Catamounts erased the deficit in the home half of the first. McCubbins led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second by legging out a fielder's choice by freshman Heather Pritchard. After sophomore Savannah Filley drew a full count walk to load the bases, Adams delivered the first two of her five RBI in the game with a single to left center, scoring McCubbins and Pritchard. However, the Catamounts could not scratch the scoreboard for more, stranding three in the frame.

An inning later, Western added three runs as Adams struck again with her three-run bomb to left, again plating Pritchard and McCubbins. Leading 5-0, the Catamounts added a single run in the third as Pritchard drove in freshman Stephanie Beatty, who had singled, on a sacrifice fly to right center.

The Cougars responded in the fifth as Cabrera led off with a double to left center and scored on an RBI single by left fielder Jennifer Golden to pull to within four, 6-2. However, Western played long ball again in the fifth as McCubbins scored her third run of the day with a one-out single and scored when Filley lifted her 13th homer of the season over the fence in right center for the 8-2 lead.

In the sixth, Charleston scored four runs, including a three-run homer by senior Jayme Durand, to close to within two, but McKenzie buckled down to hold the Cougs at bay and moved her record to a SoCon-leading 21-5. The Clemmons, N.C., native struck out five in the win while walking three, scattering six earned runs and nine hits.

Game two of the doubleheader did not have the same fireworks as the opener, aside from what proved to be the game-winner. With both teams seemingly falling into the pitcher's duel, Keppel laced a two-out double to right center field to start a rally. The next batter, McCubbins, took a 2-2 pitch down the left field line for her 12th home run of the season to give Western the 2-0 lead.

Western would hold the Cougars off the scoreboard until the top of the sixth inning when sophomore Jessica Lyness hit a solo homer over left field to cut the Catamount lead in half, 2-1. Yet, WCU starting pitcher Jenny Jackson was able to pitch out of the jam and earn her 14th victory of the season. The freshman from Fremont, N.C., tossed seven complete innings, scattering the one earned run on just three hits while striking out a pair and walking one.

Western is scheduled to host the College of Charleston at 1:00 pm on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex in the final home game of the inaugural 2006 season.