April 25, 2007

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Sophomore Stephanie Beatty broke the single-season record for hits, with 61, as the Western Carolina softball team (23-30) split with visiting East Tennessee State (24-26) by the same score of 6-2 in each game Wednesday at the Catamount Coplex. The Catamounts host Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern in their final home series of the season on Saturday and Sunday.

Beatty notched a hit in each game to take over the hits crown. Her second hit in the second game was her 11th double of the season, which ties her for first for double baggers in a season.

Lauren Ross got the call to the mound in the second game and tossed six scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the top of the seventh. She allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out four, improving to 9-7 on the season. Ross currently has 95 strikeouts this year and looks to reach the century mark this weekend against Georgia Southern.

A Jamie Swank single in the bottom of the third set up Western Carolina's first run in the second game. After Swank moved to second off an ETSU error she scored when Mendy McKenzie singled to left field.

The Catamounts exploded for five runs in the fourth inning and it all began with Beatty's record-setting double. An RBI single by Savannah Filley scored Beatty for the second run of the game and Filley moved to second on a throw to home. Filley was replaced by pinch runner Heather Pritchard who advanced to third when Mollie Fowler reached first off and ETSU miscue. With one out, Swank hit an RBI double that scored Pritchard and Fowler and Swank scored when Danielle Reese hit an RBI single. An RBI single by Nikki Bost plated Reese for the final run of the inning.

Ross had two outs and appeared to have her second complete game shutout in the bag when she gave up a single to Jessica Hackworth. A two RBI single by Jessica Massenzo put the Bucs on the scoreboard for the only time in the game.

Swank had a phenomenal game going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.

McKenzie started game one on the mound for the Catamounts and though she recorded seven strikeouts in the game, a four-run fifth inning for ETSU was more then Western Carolina could overcome in the game. McKenzie falls to 10-16 on the season.

ETSU scored one run in the third inning. Cheniece Cason hit a one out double and scored thanks to an RBI single by Hackworth.

Western Carolina would enjoy a short-lived lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bost drew a leadoff walk and came around to score when Beatty hit her eighth homerun of the season giving the Catamounts a 2-1 lead.

ETSU tied the game in the fifth inning when Hackworth hit into a fielder's choice that scored a run. A three-run homerun by Amanda Haverman put the game out of reach. The Bucs tacked on one run in the top of the seventh inning.