Feb. 23, 2007

Western Carolina vs. Marshall - Final Stats

Western Carolina vs. Charlotte - Final Stats

Charlotte, N.C. - Fresh off its first win of the season on Wednesday, the Western Carolina softball team split its two games on Friday on the opening day of the Charlotte First Pitch Classic. The Catamounts surrendered five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Marshall rallied from down three to a 10-8 victory in the first game of tournament play. In the evening session, WCU plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning, adding an insurance run in the third to hold on to knock the host Charlotte 49ers from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 4-2 win.

Tournament action continues for Western (2-6) on Saturday (Feb. 24) as the Cats face the Drexel Dragons at 10:00 am, and SoCon-rival, UNC Greensboro, at 4:30 pm in non-conference play.

With a 6-for-8 showing from the plate, freshman Serena Smith led the Catamounts offensively on the day, adding a pair of RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore Lauren Ross and junior transfer Jamie Swank each went 4-for-7 in the two games with Ross driving in three with Swank tallying two runs scored.

Against Charlotte, sophomore Mendy McKenzie, who made the start in right field, led off the home half of the first inning with a single and scored from first on an RBI double to right center by Smith for the early advantage. After being moved to third, Smith came home on a Ross single through the left side for the second run, with Ross later touching the dish on a two-out single up the middle by freshman Danielle Reese.

Up three, the Catamounts pushed across an insurance run in the bottom of the third as Swank laced a two-out single down the left field line and scored from first when sophomore Beth Hauser doubled to right field.

Charlotte (12-1) managed to slice the WCU advantage in half in the top of the seventh on the strength of three-consecutive two out singles, but sophomore shortstop Heather Pritchard gobbled up an infield roller and tossed to Stephanie Beatty at third for the final out preserving the 4-2 win.

Tossing a one-hitter entering the seventh inning, Ross went the distance for Western in the circle to earn the first victory of her collegiate career. In seven innings of work, the Hope Mills, N.C., native only allowed two earned runs while striking out six with three walks. The 49ers only managed to hit .160 against the right-hander.

In the first game, WCU surrendered five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Marshall rallied from a three-run, 8-5, deficit for the10-8 victory. Western could not maintain its early 1-0 advantage as Smith scored on a Ross RBI single up the middle in the top of the first inning. The Thundering Herd answered with a three-spot in the home half of the third inning to take a 3-1 edge it would enjoy for half an inning.

Down two in the top half of the fourth inning, Reese singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by Marshall's second baseman. Pinch running, Hauser came home to score two batters later when McKenzie singled and eventually moved to third on another Herd error. Following a one-out walk and stolen base by Smith, back-to-back singles scored two additional runs to push WCU ahead, 4-3. After a pitching change, two additional runs crossed home for a five-run frame and a 6-3 Catamount advantage.

Marshall got two runs back in the fourth to trim the deficit to one, 6-5, but WCU scored a run in both the fifth and sixth to lead, 8-5, before Marshall's five-hit, five-run bottom of the sixth.

McKenzie made her fifth start of the young season in the first game, but was lifted in place of Filley after just two innings of work. Filley worked 3.1 innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the sixth inning with McKenzie coming on to finish out the final two outs of the frame. Filley suffered her second loss of the season after exiting with the bases loaded with the two hurlers combining for 11 walks and just two strikeouts.

Fans can follow all of the action from the Charlotte First Pitch Classic on Saturday with LIVE on GameTracker.