April 6, 2011

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball (17-23) was swept by Winthrop (11-22) 14-4, 9-3 Wednesday, in the final non-conference doubleheader of the season, at the Catamount Softball Complex.

The Eagles opened game one with four runs in the opening frame of the contest and Western Carolina could never recover. Winthrop was held scoreless in the second and third inning, before the Eagles rocked starting Catamount pitcher Katie King for five runs in the fourth inning. King was replaced by Bekah Burkett who gave up a run before getting out of the fourth inning.

Before Winthrop's scoring frenzy, in the fourth inning, Western Carolina looked to make the game interesting in the second. The Catamounts scored three runs in the bottom of the second, to pull within one run, 4-3.

Erin Foster's one out single to right field started the scoring for Western Carolina in the second inning. Amelia Griffin earned first base off a Winthrop error and moved to second. On the same play, Foster moved to third and scored off the second error, by the Eagles, on the same play that allowed Griffin to reach first. Back-to-back singles by Amber Steinhardt and Jordan Fulton had the bases full of Catamounts. With two outs, Haley Pace picked up an RBI single, past third base, scoring Griffin. A single through the left side, by Morgan Wyatt gave her an RBI and scored Steinhardt.

The rest of the game was all Winthrop. The Eagles ended the contest with 12 hits while Western Carolina had nine. King takes the loss, falling to 8-10 on the season.

In the second game, Steinhardt got the start, and things looked promising as she tossed a scoreless first inning. The Catamounts were down just one run, after the Eagles scored a lone run in the second inning, but still looked to be hanging in the game.

Just like the first game, Winthrop benefitted from a huge inning to put the game out of reach. The Eagles had five runs in the top of the third to knock Steinhardt out of the game. Burkett came into the game and closed out the third with two hits and a run scored.

Western Carolina managed to score a run in the bottom of the third inning. Singles by Fulton and Burnette placed runners at first and second, and an RBI single by Pace scored Fulton.

King came into the game for the Catamounts to pitch the final four innings. She gave up two runs on three hits and didn't give up a walk. Steinhardt took the loss and falls to 8-8.

Winthrop got two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Western Carolina also picked up two runs in the bottom half of the seventh.

The pair of runs for the Catamounts, in the seventh, began with Shemekia Scotton drawing a lead-off walk. Kelly Braman singled to the right side and both she and Scotton moved to second and third on passed ball to put the Catamounts in scoring position. The second straight passed ball by the Winthrop pitcher Natalie Becker allowed Scotton to score. A sacrifice fly by Erin Foster, who came into the game as a pinch hitter, scored Braman for the second run of in the inning.

Fulton had a pair of hits in both games and is currently on a four-game hitting streak.

Western Carolina hosts Appalachian State on Saturday and Sunday in Southern Conference action at the Catamount Softball Complex. The doubleheader, on Saturday, begins at 1 p.m. and the Sunday single game also begins at 1 p.m.