April 22, 2011

Box Score

ELON, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (18-26, 3-13 Southern Conference) dropped Friday night's single game with Elon (21-20, 6-10 SoCon) 9-1, in six innings, at East Field.

After pushing the game back from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. because of rain in the area, the two teams had to wait another one hour and 15 minutes to play. The clubs finally started at 7:15 p.m. with rain drizzling throughout the game.

The Catamounts got the lead-off runner aboard in each of the first two innings. Western Carolina failed to score in the first inning, but benefited from an Elon miscue in the second.

Amber Steinhardt led off the second inning with a hit to third base. She moved to second on a groundout by Robyn Burnette. Steinhardt scored on a throwing error by the Phoenix when Amelia Griffin hit a chopper to the pitcher. The throw was errant and rolled on the slick grass into the corner past first base. Steinhardt used the opportunity to motor home and Griffin got all the way to third base. Western Carolina looked poised to add a second run in the inning, with Jordan Fulton at the plate and two outs, but she struck out to end the threat.

With one out, in the bottom of the second, Catamount starting pitcher Steinhardt gave up a hit and a pair of walks to load the bases with Phoenix. Danielle Lafftery hit a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game at one, scoring Kaitlyn Piazzolla. A single past the second baseman, by Jackie Gonzalez, afforded Elon the lead, 2-1. Carleigh Nester ground out to second base to end the inning.

Elon added a lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning off an RBI single by Danielle Lafferty to put the Phoenix up 3-1. The Phoenix added two more runs in the fifth inning off a two RBI homerun by Emerald Graham and added three more runs to lead 8-1. Elon added a lone run in the sixth inning to end the game.

Western Carolina had a base runner in five of the six innings. The Catamounts had a scoring chance erased in the fifth inning when Fulton was called out at home.

Steinhardt falls to 9-10 on the season. Bekah Burkett relieved Steinhardt in the fifth inning.

The teams return to the field Saturday in doubleheader action, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.