April 30, 2011

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Mt. Pleasent, S..C. - Western Carolina softball (18-30, 3-17 Southern Conference) was swept by College of Charleston (31-17, 10-9 SoCon) 6-0, 8-0 Saturday at Patriots Point.

Game 1

Starting Western Carolina pitcher Katie King tossed two scoreless innings before College of Charleston got on the board in the third inning. It all started with a Catamount error.

The Cougars' Katie Nutaitis reached first off the Western Carolina miscue. Nutaitis moved to second when Hillary Stringer hit a bunt single. Lizzy Vaughn's bloop two out double, in the dead area between shortstop and left field, scored Nutaitis for the first run of the game. King got Katie Forbes to strikeout to end the inning.

Before the Cougar scoring, Western Carolina lost shortstop Shemekia Scotton to an injury. Scotton left the game after a collision at second base while College of Charleston was at bat.

College of Charleston broke open the game in the ensuing inning with three runs in the fourth inning. All three runs were scored with two outs. The Cougars added lone runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the fifth inning, for the third straight game, Haley Pace came from behind the plate, at the catcher position, and moved to third base, Morgan Wyatt took over the catching duties.

King had three strikeouts in the game and takes the loss, falling to 8-14. Western Carolina had just three hits in the game, with singles by Jordan Fulton, Amelia Griffin and Pace.

Game 2

Western Carolina had a scoring chance squelched in the opening inning of the second game. Fulton drew a lead-off walk and stole second, her 13th of the season, to put her self in scoring position. A single by Pace, past third base, pushed Fulton to third, putting runners at the corners. Wyatt laid down a bunt to first base and Fulton was thrown out at home.

College of Charleston didn't waste anytime scoring in the second game. Katie Forbes made it a quick 2-0 lead for the Cougars with a two RBI homerun over the left field wall in the first inning.

Detrimental errors by Western Carolina afforded College of Charleston the chance to tack on two runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Catamounts had three errors that allowed the Cougars to their lead.

College of Charleston tacked on a run in the bottom of the third to push the Cougar lead to 5-0.

Western Carolina looked to have something brewing in the top of the fourth inning with bases loaded and one out. Wyatt got it started with a single then back-to-back Cougar errors loaded the bases with Catamounts. Erin Foster's couldn't push a runner round with a pop up to the shortstop for the second out and King flew out to right field to end the WCU threat.

College of Charleston added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 8-0. The three runs assured the Cougars a shortened game. Western Carolina failed to score in the top of the fifth to end the game.

Amber Steinhardt started the game and takes the loss falling to 9-11. Western Carolina had just three hits in the game, singles by Pace, Wyatt and Steinhardt.

Western Carolina returns Sunday for a single game at College of Charleston. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.