April 10, 2011

Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (18-25, 3-12 Southern Conference) fell to Appalachian State (15-17, 8-5 SoCon) 12-0, in five innings, Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

After the Mountaineers' Katie Boyd hit a lead-off solo shot homerun to start the first inning, things deteriorated quickly for the Catamounts and starting pitcher Amber Steinhardt. Western Carolina looked to get out of the inning with just a minor dent, with two consecutive outs. Appalachian State did get runners at first and second and looked poised to add it its 1-0 lead, but Steinhardt wiggled out of the inning when she forced Sheridan Phillips to strike out.

Western Carolina got a base-runner, with two outs, in the bottom half of the first, when Haley Pace singled past the shortstop. Clean-up hitter Morgan Wyatt failed to push Pace across for a run when she hit a fly ball out to centerfield.

It was in the second inning when the wheels came off for Western Carolina and Steinhardt. The Mountaineers got four runs off two hits and three huge Catamount errors.

Errors would be the catalyst for all of Appalachian State's innings after Boyd's lead-off homerun in the first inning. Western Carolina ended the contest with six errors. Steinhardt and Katie King, who came into the game in relief in the second inning, combined for five earned runs with the rest of Appalachian State's runs equated to the Catamount miscues.

The Catamounts had its best scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jordan Fulton led off with a single up the middle and pinch hitter Robyn Burnette singled through the right side to place runners at first and second with no outs. Pace hit into a double play and Wyatt popped up to the pitcher to end the inning and the game.

Steinhardt went on record for one inning, leaving the second inning without recording an out. She takes the loss and evens her record to 9-9. King tossed the remaining four innings, giving up seven hits and struck out five.

Sophomore outfielder Fulton continues to shine for the Catamounts. With a hit on Sunday, Fulton has pushed her hitting streak to a seasonal-best seven consecutive games. She tops the team with a .353 batting average and leads the team with 48 hits. Fulton is just nine hits from tying her career-high for hits in a season, as she had 57 hits as a freshman.

Western Carolina will have the next 11 days off and will return to action on April 22 at Elon.