March 19, 2011

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (13-14, 0-5 SoCon) was nipped by Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern (12-17, 4-1 SoCon) 1-0, 6-5 in doubleheader action Saturday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

The Catamounts host the Eagles in a single game on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

Georgia Southern's Marie Fogle set the tone for the Eagles, in both games, leading off the games with homeruns. Her solo shot in the first game, prove to be the game-winner as the Catamounts nor Eagles could push across another run in game one.

Catamount junior lefty hurler Katie King started the game, and after giving up the long ball to Fogle, tossed 3.1 scoreless innings before a fluke play forced her to leave the contest. Tabby Douberlay led off the fifth inning for Georgia Southern and sent a hot shot to King, the ball bounced off King's knee cap and popped up into the waiting glove of WCU first baseman Amber Steinhardt. King was visibly shaken on the play and was replaced on the mound by sophomore Bekkah Burkett.

Burkett had one of her best outings of the season, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings giving up just two hits. With two outs, in the top of the seventh inning and bases loaded, King came back returned to the game forced Shelby Morrill to fly out to end the inning. Western Carolina had just three hits in the contest and King and Burkett combined to allow four Eagle hits. Jordan Fulton, Haley Pace and Morgan Wyatt each had hits for WCU in the contest.

King takes the loss on the mound falling to 6-7. She pitched a total of 4.2 innings allowing two hits and striking out four.

After being shut out the first game, Western Carolina would again make the contest close in the second game, finally getting on the scoreboard. Georgia Southern took the early lead with Fogle starting the game with her second homerun of the day to lead off the inning. A pair of back-to-back Western Carolina errors, with two outs, allowed Hanna Ennis to score the second run of the first inning.

Georgia Southern would pull ahead to a 3-0 lead in the third inning thanks to sacrifice fly by pitcher Megan Smith.

Western Carolina got on the scoreboard for the first time all day in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, freshman right fielder Amelia Griffin drew a walk. Pace hit a frozen rope to left field, which would initially have moved Griffin to third, but an error by the Eagle left fielder allowed Griffin to score the first run of the game for the Catamounts.

Starting pitcher, for the second game, Amber Steinhardt went 2.1 innings giving up three runs. She was replaced by King in the third inning.

The Eagles Kelly Burnett led off the fourth inning with a single and scored off an RBI single by Fogle. Georgia Southern added two more runs thanks to a two RBI homerun by Mackenzie Williams.

Western Carolina had a big inning of its own in the bottom of the fourth scoring three runs. Wyatt led off the inning with a single passed the pitcher and moved to second off a sacrifice fly by Erin Foster. Shemekia Scotton hit an RBI single to the right side which scored Wyatt. Steinhardt followed hitting her first homerun of the season, a two RBI shot over the left field wall which also sent Scotton home.

King came back to throw a scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh inning opening up the chance for Catamount to rally. In the final three innings, Western Carolina had a led off batter reach first but was only able to capitalize in the seventh inning.

A Catamount scoring chance was squandered in the sixth inning when Steinhardt drew a walk to lead off the inning and Morgan Gardner was inserted to pinch run for her. Freshman MaKenzi McAteer hit a shot to left field, but Gardner stalled on the base patch and was thrown out at second, costing McAteer a hit.

In the seventh inning, trailing by two runs, Pace drew a walk. A Georgia Southern error allowed Fulton to reach first and pushed Pace to second. Wyatt picked up her second hit of the day and Pace tried to make it home and was thrown out at the plate. Wyatt moved to second on the throw, and after Robyn Brunette replaced her, Western Carolina had runners at second and third. Junior Erin Foster hit a single to right field and Fulton scored on the play. Western Carolina pinch runner Burnette attempted to tie the game rounding third and heading home, but she was also thrown out at the plate. Trailing by one run, with a Foster on second base, Scotton struck out to end the Catamount rally.

Steinhardt takes the loss and falls to 7-5. She went 2.1 innings giving up three runs on five hits. King completed the game tossing 4.1 innings and giving up three runs on six hits and striking out three.