March 28, 2009

Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Western Carolina softball split a pair of games with College of Charleston, dropping the first game 4-1 and bounced back to win the second game 8-4, Saturday at Patriots Point. The Catamounts are now 8-18 and 4-4 in the Southern Conference while the Cougars are 11-17 and 4-4 in the SoCon.

Freshman shortstop Chelsea Schaffer was a perfect 4-for-4 in the second game to help lift the Catamounts to the win. Schaffer also hit the second homerun of her career with three runs scored and three RBI.

Senior hurler Lauren Ross pitched the second game and picked up her fifth win on the season. The Hope Mills, N.C. native allowed six hits and two earned runs and struck out two.

Western Carolina scored in all but two innings in the second game, after getting just one run in the first game. The Catamounts got on the board early, posting two runs in the first inning. Schaffer led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out, senior Stephanie Beatty was hit by a pitch and then she and Schaffer had a double steal, placing runners on second and third. First baseman Mollie Fowler hit a two RBI single to plate Schaffer and Beatty.

The Catamounts tacked on two more runs in the second inning as Danielle Reese hit a one out single and then scored off a single by Schaffer. A passed ball and a wild pitch allowed Shaffer to score the second run of the game.

College of Charleston closed the gap in the bottom of the second inning, posting two runs, both unearned.

In the third inning, Beatty singled and then Ross hit a RBI single for the lone run. The Cougars scored two more runs to trim the Catamount lead to 5-4.

Keri Burnside hit a one out double in the fourth inning. Schaffer followed with her homerun over the left field wall. In the fifth, Western Carolina added one run thanks to a RBI single by Reese.

The first game was all College of Charleston as the Cougars rode the arm of pitcher Terri Mesko who tossed the complete game. Mesko gave up just one run on seven hits and struck out five.

College of Charleston scored two runs in the third and two runs in the fifth to secure the win. Western Carolina's lone run came in the sixth inning thanks to an RBI single by pinch hitter Brittany Barrineau.

The two clubs will complete the series Sunday at 1 p.m.