Feb. 13, 2008

Box Score

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Western Carolina softball (0-1) dropped its opening-day game 3-0 at South Carolina (2-4) Wednesday at Beckham Field in the club's third year of existence.

After two and a half scoreless inning, South Carolina jumped on the board in the bottom of the third. Lisa Longo opened the inning with a base hit to left center field. Gamecock Becky Martinez's sacrifice bunt moved Longo to second base. Laura Mendes' RBI double plated Longo for the first run of the game by the Gamecocks. Catamount pitcher Michelle Tating was called for an illegal pitch on a three and two count facing Jessica Josker and giving her first base on a walk and moved Mendes to third base. Mendes scored the second South Carolina run thanks to an RBI single by Jill Semento.

South Carolina tacked on one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tating got two outs before giving up a double and three straight singles to allow Longo to score her second run of the game and take a 3-0 lead.

With the bases loaded, South Carolina looked to add to their lead. Head Coach Christine Hornak pulled Tating and replaced her with Lauren Ross who promptly recorded the first Catamount strikeout of the game forcing Semento to swing at her three and two offering.

Western Carolina had base runners in the first four innings and had a runner at third base twice, with senior Jamie Swank thrown out at home in the first and third innings. Ten of the last 15 Catamount batters struck out to end the game. Defensively, Western Carolina had a good showing not committing an error in the game.

Ross came in the game and tossed two and a third scoreless innings, recording three strikeouts and giving up three hits. Tating took the loss in her first appearance on the mound for the Catamounts allowing three runs on eight hits.

Juniors Heather Pritchard and Beth Hauser accounted for all four of the Catamount hits in the game. Pritchard and Hauser each had a pair of singles.

Western Carolina returns to the diamond February 17 as the Catamounts travel to Atlanta, Ga. to take on Georgia State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.