Feb. 12, 2011

Box Score

CARY, N.C. - Western Carolina softball swept opening day action at the Lady Eagle Invitational, hosted by NC Central, defeating Morgan State 15-1 and Maryland Eastern Shore 15-7.

The Catamounts opened the season with a 15-1 win over Morgan State in the opening game of the Lady Eagle Classic. The game was called after five innings.

Freshman right fielder Amelia Griffin began the contest with a lead-off single through the left side and promptly stole the first base of her career. She scored the first run of the game thanks to an RBI single by sophomore Robyn Burnette.

After holding Morgan State scoreless in the bottom half of the first, Western Carolina exploded for seven runs in both the second and third innings. Griffin led the Catamounts going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI, and was one of five players to record multiple hits in the game.

Freshman Makenzi McAteer was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI and freshman Morgan Wyatt was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Burnette and Jordan Fulton each had a pair of hits as well.

Western Carolina posted most of their runs via singles as Griffin and Burnette were the only Catamount players to have extra base hits both with doubles.

Junior lefty hurler Katie King was on the mound for the Catamounts and tossed four scoreless innings before giving up a run in the bottom of the fifth. She allowed nine hits, one run and had two strikeouts.

In the second game, Western Carolina used an eight run sixth inning to secure the win over Maryland Eastern Shore. The game was tied at seven, after five innings, when junior college transfer Erin Foster began the Catamount rally. She singled through the left side and advanced to third thanks to a double by Wyatt. The bases were loaded for WCU when Shemekia Scotton was hit by a pitch.

Western Carolina took the lead when Amber Steinhardt hit a three RBI single, plating Foster, Wyatt and Scotton. Steinhardt advanced to second off a Maryland Eastern Shore error. In the scoring frenzy, Burnette also picked up an RBI and sophomore Haley Pace hit a two RBI triple.

The game was scoreless for two innings before Western Carolina got on the board first. Foster began the two out rally with a single and Wyatt followed with a single. Scotton hit an RBI single for the first run of the game. Fulton added two more runs to the frame with a two RBI single scoring Wyatt and Scotton.

Bekah Burkett got the starting nod on the mound and after two scoreless innings, allowed four runs in the bottom of the third to afford Maryland Eastern Shore to take a 4-3 lead.

Western Carolina came back with three runs in the top of the four for a 6-4 advantage. Maryland Eastern Shore answered with two runs to knot the game at six.

The Catamounts battled back to again reclaim the lead with one run in the top of the fifth. It was another two out rally, as Kelly Braman hit a two-out single to keep WCU alive. McAteer drew a walk and Griffin singled to load the bases. Braman scored, to give WCU a 7-6 lead, off an RBI single by Burnette.

Maryland Eastern Shore tied the game again, at seven, in the bottom of the sixth.

Burkett was replaced by Steinhardt on the mound after two and half innings. She allowed four runs on five hits. Steinhardt went three and half innings, allowing three runs on one hit and struck out three. Steinhard also picked up her first win of the season.

Western Carolina completes acting at the Lady Eagle Invitational on Sunday playing host North Carolina Central at 10 a.m. and repeating a game with Maryland Eastern Shore at noon.