May 6, 2007

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Western Carolina softball player Beth Hauser's RBI single to right field secured a 3-2 win over Furman Sunday to earn a split with the Paladins on Sunday at Pepsi Stadium. Furman took the first game 5-4 in eight innings. The Catamounts are the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 seed Georgia Southern at 3 p.m. in the Southern Conference Tournament on May 9 in Greensboro, N.C.

Western Carolina ends the regular season with an overall record of 26-32 and 9-11 in the Southern Conference. Furman is 17-32-1 and 7-12 in conference play.

After suffering an extra-inning loss in the first game, the Catamounts came out on top in the second nail-biting tied game of the day. In the top of the seventh inning, back-to-back singles by Kayla Kelley and Stephanie Beatty got the inning started off with a bang. A fielder's choice by Savannah Filley kept runners on first and second but Kelley was out on the play. A single by redshirt freshman Mollie Fowler loaded the bases for Hauser who hit a shot to right centerfield to score Beatty for the eventual game winner.

Filley got the start in the game and tossed five innings before being replaced by sophomore Lauren Ross. Filley left the game tied and received the no decision, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out one.

Ross tossed two scoreless innings only allowing one hit. She also notched her 100th strikeout of the season when she caught Furman's Lanna Mackey looking. Ross improves to 11-7 on the season.

Western Carolina got on the board first in the opening frame of the game. Mendy McKenzie led off with a single past the shortstop and Kelley reached on a Furman miscue to place runners on first and second. Sophomore Stephanie Beatty hit an RBI double to plate McKenzie giving the Catamounts the early 1-0 lead.

Furman answered in its half of the first inning scoring two runs. Abby Roberston hit a one out single and with two outs Megan Jaudon reached on a Catamount error and Roberston tied the game when she scored on the play. The Paladins took the lead thanks to an RBI single by Mackey.

The Catamounts tied the game in the top of the third and it all started when Kelley led off the inning with a triple, the first of her career. Beatty recorded her second RBI of the game when she hit a single to right field to score Kelley and knot the game at two.

The first game started just as promising as the second for Western Carolina. The club got two runners on to start the game with McKenzie reaching on a Furman error and Nikki Bost singling through the left side. Filley hit a single to right centerfield to score McKenzie and take the early lead.

McKenzie got the start in the first game and tossed four scoreless innings before Furman exploded for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The inning was capped off by an RBI single by Danielle Franklin and a two RBI triple by Amber Kiser. Furman notched a single run in the sixth inning to expand its lead to 4-1.

Western Carolina looked to be down but proved it wasn't out. Back-to-back singles by Bost and Beatty placed runners on first and second and Furman loaded the bases when it chose to intentionally walk Filley. Furman hurler Mackey looked like she might get out of the jam unscathed when she struck out Fowler and Hauser to pick up two quick outs. But Mackey didn't count on the increasingly hot-hitting Jamie Swank who came through in a clutch. Swank hit a double to center field to clear the bases and tie the game.

The Catamounts had something cooking in the top of the eighth inning when Ross hit a double to centerfield. However she was stranded at second, which opened the door for Furman.

With the bases loaded thanks to McKenzie giving up a pair walks and fielder's choice the Paladins were poised to take the game. It looked as if Western Carolina might build momentum to get out of the no outs and bases loaded jam when Kelley made a spectacular diving play in centerfield to rob Mackey of a hit. However, the Catamounts weren't so lucky with the next batter when Franklin's fielder's choice scored Stephanie Cushing to win the game.

McKenzie tossed the complete game and takes the loss falling to 11-18 on the season. She allowed three earned runs on seven hits and struck out three.