Feb. 19, 2011

Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. - Western Carolina softball (6-1) dropped its first game of the season, falling 6-0 to Western Illinois (1-6) in day one of the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn University.

After going undefeated to start the season, and scoring 71 runs in the first six games, the Catamounts were shutout for the first time in 2011. Western Carolina put together just six hits in the contest while the Leathernecks parlayed seven hits into seven runs and benefitted from one WCU error.

Junior Catamount hurler Katie King got the call to the mound for day one of the tournament. Both Western Carolina and Western Illinois' pitchers tossed two scoreless innings before the Leathernecks struck in the bottom of the third.

Western Illinois got two runs off two hits in the third inning, posted three runs in the fourth inning, and added a run in the sixth.

Catamount sophomore outfielder Jordan Fulton was the only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3. Erin Foster and Shemekia Scotton each had a hit in the contest.

King took the loss in the game and falls to 3-1 on the year. She went three innings allowing four runs on four hits and struck out one. King was relieved by Bekah Burkett who threw three innings and allowed two runs on three hits.

Western Carolina returns to action for day two at the Tiger Invitational on Saturday. The Catamounts face McNeese State at 3 p.m. and Southern Miss at 5:30 p.m.