Feb. 24, 2007

Western Carolina vs. Drexel - Final Stats

Western Carolina vs. UNC Greensboro - Final Stats

Charlotte, N.C. - The Western Carolina Catamount softball team dropped two games in tournament play on Saturday at the Phillips Complex in the Charlotte First Pitch Classic. In game one, WCU and Drexel combined for 24 hits with the Dragons scoring a combined 11 runs in the third and fourth inning to win, 13-8. WCU committed five errors in the second game en route to a 8-2 defeat at the hands of conference-foe, UNC Greensboro.

WCU stranded a combined 18 base runners in the two games, 12 versus Drexel and six against the Spartans.

Sophomore Stephanie Beatty led Western (2-8) with a 3-for-6 showing in the two games with a double and driving in a pair. Freshman Tatum Hargett also hit .500 (1-for-2), while her classmate, Serena Smith, and sophomore Beth Hauser each went 3-for-7. Smith belted her first career home run against UNCG, with Hauser legging out a two-bagger against Drexel. Beatty and Hauser were joined by Lauren Ross with two RBI, with Mendy McKenzie scoring three runs, all in game one.

After two scoreless innings in Saturday's opener, Western pushed across four runs in the top of the third inning to grab a 4-0 lead. McKenzie opened the frame with a single through the left side and moved into scoring position at third after back-to-back wild pitches that were a part of Smith drawing a walk. Smith stole second in front of Beatty who doubled to right to score McKenzie. Consecutive free passes to Savannah Filley and Ross drove in Smith, prompting a Dragon pitching change. Two batters later, Hauser delivered a two-run double to left to plate the final two runs of the frame.

Western's advantage was short lived, though, as Drexel answered with six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the third in an inning that began harmless enough with a single and a sacrifice bunt for the first out. The Dragons scored each run with two gone in the inning, with a Catamount error keeping things alive and chasing WCU starter, Ross.

The Catamounts tied the game at six with a two-spot in the top of the fourth, but a five-run home half of the inning pushed Drexel ahead for good, propelling the Dragons to the win.

Ross was credited with 3.2 innings pitched, allowing six runs - only one of which was earned - with a pair of walks and strikeouts. McKenzie, who was saddled with the loss, only recorded one out in the fourth but faced eight batters in the frame to do so. The Clemmons, N.C., native allowed five runs, four earned, on three hits with four walks and a strikeout. Filley also saw action in the circle, fanning one in two innings of work while allowing two runs on one hit and a pair of walks.

In the afternoon game, Western jumped on top in the top of the first inning as Smith blasted her first collegiate home run to center field. Yet, the Spartans answered in the home half with consecutive doubles off WCU starter, Filley, to knot the game at one apiece.

The Catamounts again surged ahead in the top of the third as Beatty advanced the runners, Sam Stepp and Smith, to third and second, respectively, with Stepp touching the dish on a wild pitch. That was all that Western could muster, though, as UNCG managed at least one run in each of the next four innings, aided by at least one WCU error in each of those frames, to pull away for the 8-2 win.

Filley suffered her third defeat of the season, allowing five runs - three of which were earned - on seven hits in 3.1 innings of work. McKenzie threw the final 2.2 innings, striking out three while scattering three runs on five hits.

Western wraps up play at the Charlotte First Pitch Classic on Sunday. Check Charlotte49ers.com for more information.