April 14, 2010

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Freshman speedster Jordan Fulton broke the school record for stolen bases in a single season, as Western Carolina softball (6-33) split with visiting Presbyterian (14-17), falling 9-0 and winning the night-cap 7-5, Wednesday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Fulton had nine stolen bases before the doubleheader with Presbyterian. She erased the Catamount single-season stolen base record, in a season, in her first at-bat of the day. Fulton led off the bottom of the first inning with single past the short-stop and swiped second to give her 10 in a season and capture the record. She also recorded a stolen base in the second game against the Blue Hose and currently has 11.

As a team, Western Carolina struggled at the plate in the first game against Presbyterian. The Catamounts had just two hits in the game, one by Futon and one by Robyn Burnette.

Starting Catamount pitcher Katie King gave up a homerun to Amanda Miller in the first inning of the game to give the Blue Hose a 1-0 lead. King bounced back to toss three scoreless innings before she hit a snag.

In the fifth inning, Presbyterian tagged King for four runs and she was replaced on the mound by Bekah Burkett. Presbyterian would add four more runs in the sixth inning to shorten the game by one inning.

King took the loss in the game going 4.1 innings allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits and striking out four. Burkett went 1.2 innings allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits and striking out three.

In the second game, Western Carolina's offense took charge in the first inning scoring three runs. Fulton led off and reached on a Blue Hose error and proceeded to steal her 11th base of the season. With one out, Haley Pace singled to right field, scoring Fulton and she advanced to second on a Presbyterian error. Pace scored on an RBI single by Colby Liles and Liles scored on an RBI single by Missy Wills.

Amber Steinhardt started for the Catamounts and held Presbyterian scoreless for the first two innings of the game. In the third inning, the Blue Hose cut the Catamount lead to one, 3-2, off a two RBI double by Rachel Parker.

In the top of the fifth, Presbyterian took the lead when it scored two runs to go up 4-3. A triple by Powell and back-to-back doubles by Miller and Taylor Staten accounted for the runs. Steinhardt was replaced on the mound by King who forced a ground out and a pair of strikeouts to get out of the inning.

The Catamounts re-took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. Steinhardt, who moved to right field, hit the first homerun of her career, on a 1-0 count, over the left field wall. A single by Pace and a walk by Liles set up the three RBI long ball by Steinhardt.

King got into a jam in the sixth inning, but a slick defensive play helped the sophomore lefty hurler get out of the inning. The Blue Hose got within one run when Powell hit an RBI single. With bases loaded, Miller hit into a double play when she ground the ball to the third baseman Pace, who tagged the runner at third and then tossed the ball back to short-stop Burnette for the second out. King got Staten to line out to the shortstop for the third out.

Burentte added an insurance run for Western Carolina with the first homerun of her career. With one out, she hit a homerun over the right centerfield wall in the bottom of the sixth.

King looked to close out the game in the seventh. With one out, she got into trouble again, loading the bases after Leslie Hensely singled, Lindsey Trombley walked and pinch hitter Morgan Durham was hit by a pitch. Burkett came into the game in a save situation and forced Brittany Howell to ground out to end the Blue Hose threat.

King takes the win on the mound and improves to 2-19 while Burkett earns the first save of her career. Shemekia Scotten, who has been sidelined for 16 games due to injury, got the start at second in the second game and picked up a pair of hits in the game. Pace led the club with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.

Western Carolina hits the road this weekend to face UNC Greensboro. The Southern Conference three-game series begins with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.