April 22, 2007

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Western Carolina softball used a four-run seventh inning, which included two homeruns, to defeat College of Charleston 4-1 and snap the Cougars' 15-game hitting streak. The Catamounts avoided the series sweep with the win. Western Carolina hosts its final non-conference doubleheader of the season Wednesday when the club plays East Tennessee State beginning at 4 p.m.

The Catamounts improve to 22-29 on the season and 6-9 in Southern Conference play. College of Charleston falls to 29-18 and 11-4 in the conference.

College of Charleston hurler Terri Mesko practically breezed through the first six innings against Western Carolina. She came into the seventh inning allowing just two Catamount hits but she did prove to have a few control issues giving up three walks. Mesko's fourth walk to Beth Hauser to start the seventh inning would be the free pass that would come back to haunt her.

With Hauser on first and the Catamounts' backs against the wall, Mollie Fowler changed the complexity of the game with one swing. She took Mesko's offering over the left field wall to give Western Carolina a 2-1 lead.

The Catamounts weren't content with a slim one-run lead. The club had dropped a pair of close games on Saturday, each by one run. So, Lauren Ross stepped to the plate and added to the run total with a towering homerun to centerfield, her ninth long ball of the season.

After giving up back-to-back homeruns, Mesko was replaced on the mound with Katie Sansouci. Jamie Swank welcome her to the game with her second single on the day to again place a base runner on and still with no outs. Heather Pritchard followed with a single and a fielder's choice by Danielle Reese in which Fowler was safe at third loaded the bases for the Catamounts.

Pinch hitter Savannah Filley singled through the left side to plate Swank for the fourth Western Carolina run of the game. Sansouci then got three outs, including a double play to end the inning.

It was then up to Catamount pitcher Mendy McKenzie to close out the game. She made quick work of the Cougars, forcing a ground out and two fly outs to end the game.

McKenzie was outstanding in the win. She tossed a complete game allowing just one run on five hits and striking out five. The sophomore improves to 10-15 on the season.

College of Charleston got its only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Kolby Schooley led off with a double and was replaced by pinch runner Darla Roberson. Izmena Cabrera's RBI single scored Roberson to give the Cougars' a 1-0 lead.