April 29, 2007

Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball won its second Southern Conference series on Sunday with a 7-1 victory over Georgia Southern at Catamount Complex. The two teams split the doubleheader on Saturday.

The Catamounts improve to 25-31 overall and 8-10 in conference play. Georgia Southern falls to 23-28 and 8-9 in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina moves to fifth place in the conference race and the final series of the season at Furman next weekend will determine what seed the Catamounts will receive in the Southern Conference Tournament.

After lasting only 1.2 innings in the first game on Saturday against Georgia Southern, sophomore hurler Mendy McKenzie had a very productive day on the mound for the Catamounts on Sunday. She tossed her 20th complete game of the year, allowing one run on five hits and striking out eight. McKenzie improves to 11-17 on the season.

McKenzie had a shutout for six innings but Georgia Southern was able to plate a run in the seventh. Katie Smith led off with a single for the Eagles. She was replaced by Aubrey Thweatt who stole second to place a runner in scoring position and moved to third on a ground out by Michelle Beasley. In some heads-up base running, Thweatt came home when McKenzie threw a wild pitch.

Western Carolina didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring a run in the first inning. With one out, senior Nikki Bost singled past the shortstop. Stephanie Beatty hit her 13th double of the season to place runners on second and third. With two outs, Mollie Fowler hit a slow rolling single to the third baseman. Bost went home on the play in an excellent display of sliding home maneuvering under the Eagles' catcher's tag to score the run.

The Catamounts, who have suffered through tough losses in tight games, expanded their slim one run lead in the third inning to put the game out of reach for the Eagles. Western Carolina exploded for six runs to ice the game early.

Back-to-back singles by McKenzie and Bost placed runners on first and second and with one out Georgia Southern pitcher Logan Free walked Savannah Filley to load the bases. Fowler struck again with runners on base by hitting a frozen rope to right field, a two RBI single scoring McKenzie and Bost. Jamie Swank continued the scoring frenzy with an RBI double that scored Filley.

With two outs and runners on second and third, catcher Danielle Reese again showed why she is stepping it up in conference play. Reese hit the second homerun of her career to score three runs.

Seven of the nine batters picked up a hit for the Catamounts. Fowler led the club going 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBI.