April 18, 2009

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Western Carolina softball split its doubleheader with Samford Saturday, winning the first game 6-3 and dropping the second game 8-4. Western Carolina goes to 11-25, 7-9 Southern Conference, while Samford goes to 14-24 and 7-12 in the SoCon.

Freshman Chelsea Schaffer hit safely in both games extending her hitting streak to 14 straight. The hitting streak ties the Catamount softball school record.

Western Carolina won the first game thanks to the long ball. The Catamounts hit five homeruns in the 6-3 victory over Samford. Schaffer and senior Mollie Fowler each had two homeruns in the game and Amber Hawkins hit one.

Samford took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning off an RBI single by Amanda Jordan.

Western Carolina answered in the top of the third. First, with a lead-off homerun by Schaffer, and with two outs, Fowler followed with the first of her two homeruns over the centerfield wall.

Samford tied it up at two in the latter half of the third inning and took the lead in the fourth, 3-2. Katie England drew a lead-off walk, and with two outs, Amanda Gonzalez hit an RBI single to score England.

Western Carolina tied the game, at three, thanks to a lead-off homerun by Fowler, which was her seventh homerun of the season.

The Catamounts played strong defense to fend off the Bulldogs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and Gonzalez on third, Western Carolina turned a double play to end Samford's scoring threat.

The game was iced for Western Carolina when the club posted three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Schaffer hit her second lead-off homerun of the game to break the three all tie. Kristen Gay followed with a single over the Samford third baseman's head. Hawkins launched the club's fifth homerun of the game over the left centerfield wall for the two RBI homerun.

Catamount lefty hurler Katie King tossed the complete game and picks up the win. She allowed two earned runs on seven hits and striking out four. Samford's Stephanie Royall started the game, but left when the game was tied at three. Bulldog relief pitcher Robyn Harmon tossed three innings and takes the loss, falling to 0-1.

In the second game, Samford scored more runs in the bottom of the first then it did in all of the first game. The Bulldogs opened their first frame of the second game, posting four runs.

After a scoreless second inning, Western Carolina scored four runs of its own in the top of the third inning. Schaffer led off the inning by reaching first off a Samford miscue and Gay got a single to put runners at first and second. With two outs, Fowler and Beatty had back-to-back RBI singles to pull the Catamounts within two runs, 4-2. Beth Hauser tied the game off a two RBI single to right field.

Samford took the lead back with a run in the bottom of the third and scored a run in the fourth, and a run in the fifth. Sophomore Chere Monday came in relief of King in the bottom of the fifth, but after allowing one run on one hit and walking two, King came back in to get the last two outs and thwart the Bulldogs scoring more runs with bases loaded. Samford tacked on one additional run in the bottom of the sixth.

King takes the loss in the contest and falls to 5-12.

Western Carolina plays its final game of the series with Samford Sunday at 1 p.m.