April 5, 2011

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - A grand-slam by Morgan Wyatt, and a game-winning sacrifice fly by Kelly Braman, capped Western Carolina softball's (17-21)13-3, 8-7 doubleheader sweep of North Carolina A&T (6-21) Tuesday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

It was the first double-header sweep of the season for the Catamounts. Wyatt's grand-slam was her second of the season.

Western Carolina struck early and often in the first game against the Aggies. The scoring began in the bottom of the first inning for the Catamounts with two runs. Jordan Fulton opened the inning with a lead-off triple, her first of the season. Haley Pace followed with a walk and promptly stole second. Fulton scored the first run of the game when Wyatt ground out to second base but picked up an RBI and moved Pace to third. Pace scored off an Aggie wild pitch.

North Carolina A&T tied the game in the third inning. Catamount starting pitcher Amber Steinhardt yielded two solo homeruns to Aggie players Tiffany Macklin and Ryanne Hill to knot the game at two.

A one out single by Robyn Burnette, and a walk to Pace, set up a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Wyatt came to the plate and hit a two RBI single to centerfield to break the tie and score Burnette and Pace.

Juanita Jernigan's solo homerun for the Aggies, in the fourth inning, pulled North Carolina A&T within one run, 4-3.

Western Carolina answered in the bottom of the fourth with two more runs. Pace picked up a two RBI single to left field, scoring Amelia Griffin and Steinhardt, who got on base thanks to a walk and a single respectfully.

The Catamounts shortened the game to five innings scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on first and second, and one out, Fulton notched her second hit of the game, earning two RBI, scoring Braman and Steinhardt. A walk by Burnette and an Aggie miscue to place Pace on first, loaded the bases for Wyatt, who launched a shot over the left field wall to end the game.

Steinhardt had a rough outing but still takes the win, improving to 8-7, on the mound. In four innings of work, she gave up five hits, three runs, all homeruns, and struck out three. Bekah Burkett came into the game in the fifth inning and earned her first save of the season, sitting down the three batters she faced, fanning one.

The second game looked to be turning in North Carolina A&T's favor. The Aggies quickly posted three runs in the first inning, against starting Catamount pitcher Megan Taylor.

In the bottom of the second, Western Carolina managed to push across a single run. Scotton led off the inning with a single and scored from an RBI double by Erin Foster.

In the fifth inning, the Aggies scored their fourth run of the game, when Taylor gave up a homerun to Hill, her second of the day. After giving up the long ball, Taylor was replaced by Katie King who pitched the final eight innings.

It seemed North Carolina A&T put the game out of reach after the Aggies tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.

Western Carolina began to chip away at the Aggie lead beginning in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Catamounts managed to push across three runs, and only trail by two, 6-4. Pace started the fifth inning scoring with a one out homerun to left field, her third of the season. Back-to-back singles by Braman and Scotton set up the scoring chance for Foster, who hit a two RBI double to right field, scoring Braman and Scotton.

North Carolina A&T looked to post the knock-out punch in the seventh inning scoring a run to take a 7-4 lead.

The Catamounts donned their rally caps and forced a tie with three runs in the bottom frame of the seventh. A double to centerfield by Scotton led off the inning who then moved to third on a passed ball. Relief pitcher Tranea Jones, who replaced Lauren Clement in the fifth inning, had the wheels come off on the mound. Jones walked Foster who earned second base on a passed ball that also scored Scotton. Wyatt also walked and Foster scored on a North Carolina A&T miscue. The third walk of the inning by Jones, to Amelia Griffin, was the tying run. Fulton's single passed second base scored Griffin to tie the game.

The eighth inning began with an Aggie runner on second base, per the international tie-breaker rules. King got the first out, for the Catamounts, with a fly ball to centerfield. Burnette got the Catamounts out of the inning with a dandy double play, as she snatched a liner for an out, and in a heady play, tossed the ball to second base to get the runner at second for the double play.

Burnette was also a factor in the Catamounts bottom half of the eighth, as she was placed on second. The Aggies' Jones woes continued in the eighth as an error by her allowed Burnette to move to third, after giving up a walk to Pace. This set up Braman's game-winning sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Burentte, and sealing the game.

King came into the game in relief and earned the win, improving to 8-9 on the season. She allowed six hits, three runs, one earned, and struck out six.

Western Carolina hosts its final non-conference doubleheader of the season Wednesday welcoming Winthrop to the Catamount Softball Complex. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.