Feb. 27, 2010

Box Score

CARY, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (1-5) split its opening games at the Lady Eagle Classic, losing to Delaware State (2-0) 9-5 and defeating host North Carolina Central (1-7) 11-4, Saturday Thomas Brooks Park.

The win over the Lady Eagles was the first of the season for the Catamounts. Western Carolina posted a season-high in runs (11) and hits (16) in the game.

Freshman hurler Amber Steinhardt tossed a complete game to earn her first win as a Catamounts, moving to 1-2 on the season. She went seven innings allowing four runs on six hits and struck out four.

Steinhardt gave up a run in the opening frame against North Carolina Central when Michelle Ishida hit a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Kaitlin Kramer from third. Western Carolina posted two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. The Catamounts Jordan Fulton hit a lead-off single and senior catcher Danielle Reese followed with a single of her own. A Lady Eagle miscue allowed Fulton to motor home and score. After Chelsea Schaffer reached on fielder's choice, with Reese out at third, Schaffer scored on an RBI single by Haley Pace.

After giving up the single run in the first inning, Steinhardt worked three scoreless innings, allowing Western Carolina to score seven unanswered runs.

In the second inning, Kristen Gay hit a lead off triple, her second of the season. RBI knocks by Steinhardt and Reese, along with three North Carolina Central errors, allowed Western Carolina to post two runs. The Catamounts added two more runs in the third inning, with RBI hits by Gay and the second by Steinhardt.

It was three more runs for Western Carolina in the fourth inning. A two RBI double by Liles scored Reese and Schaffer and Liles was plated by Pace's RBI single.

North Carolina posted two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth to pull within five runs of Western Carolina, 9-4. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Western Carolina tacked on two more runs. RBI hits by Schaffer and Bekah Burkett scored the runs.

Reese led Western Carolina going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

In the opening game of the day, Delaware posted all nine of its runs in the second inning. Catamount starting pitcher Katie King went just one full inning, and took the loss, giving up seven of Delaware's runs. King falls to 0-3 on the season. She faced seven batters in the second inning before being replaced by Steinhardt.

Western Carolina did lead briefly in the game, when Schaffer hit an RBI double at the top of the second to give the Catamounts a 1-0 lead. The Catamounts got a run in the third, a run in the fifth and two in the seventh. Schaffer went 1-for-4 in the game and had two RBI.

The Catamounts wrap up the tournament at North Carolina Central on Sunday. Western Carolina faces Barton College at 10 a.m. and South Carolina State at 2 p.m.