March 20, 2012

Game 1 Box Score 

Game 2 Box Score 

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Senior centerfielder Erin Fosterhit two homeruns, in the second game against Ohio (10-13), to help Western Carolina softball (10-17) earn a split with the Bobcats on Tuesday. The Catamounts lost the first game 10-5 and won the nightcap 9-6.

Over the course of the doubleheader, Foster hit a total of three homeruns in the pair of games against Ohio. She was 2-for-4 with a homerun, three RBI and two runs scored, in the first game, and 2-for-3 with two homeruns, four RBI and two runs scored. She leads the team with eight homeruns for the season.

Western Carolina looked to be sitting pretty, in the first game against Ohio, after the Catamounts scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Fulton and Amelia Griffin drew back-to-back walks to lead off the first and Fulton scored on an RBI single by Foster. With Griffin on third, Kelly Braman laid down a beauty of a sacrifice bunt, allowing Griffin to score the second run of the inning. Shemekia Scotton'sshot to left center, was good enough for an RBI single that scored Foster.

Catamount starting pitcher Jordan Garrettwas cruising along in the game, tossing three scoreless innings before she got into a jam. Ohio scored three runs, in the top of the fourth inning, to tie the game at three.

The Bobcats added two more runs, to take a 5-3 lead, in the top of the fifth inning. Ohio's pair of runs knocked Garrett out of the game, and Amber Steinhardtcame on to pitch.

Garrett lost the decision in the game, in the bottom of the fifth, when Western Carolina tied the game at five. With one out, Griffin singled to left field, setting up Foster's first homerun of the doubleheader. Bobcat relief pitcher Lauren McClary's offering was hit out of the park, to right centerfield by Foster, to tie the game at five with the two RBI shot.

Ohio tagged Western Carolina relief pitcher Amber Steinhardt for five runs in the sixth inning to seal the game. Midway through the inning, Steinhardt was replaced by Bekah Burkett. Steinhardt took the loss in the game and dropped to 2-4 on the season. Burkett completed the game allowing two hits and walking two.

In a complete opposite of the previous game, it was Ohio who jumped out to an early lead to start game two. The Bobcats got two runs, in the top of the first against Steinhardt, who started on the mound for the Catamounts in the second game.

Western Carolina looked to have a huge bottom of the first when the Catamounts opened the inning with bases loaded with no outs. Fulton hit a double down the left side, Griffin singled to the shortstop and Foster drew a walk to open the bottom of the first. Three straight outs by the next three Catamount batters would end the WCU threat.

Steinhardt would settle down in the ensuing innings, only giving up one run. This allowed Western Carolina to battle back, and battle back it did.

Foster's solo homerun, in the bottom of the third helped Western Carolina trim the Bobcats lead to one, 2-1. Ohio pushed its lead back to two, when Alexis Joseph hit a sacrifice fly to score Erin Lashley.

Western Carolina again sliced into Ohio's lead with a single run in the bottom o fourth. Scotton led off the inning with a single, and with two outs, Heather Chastaindrew a walk. Fulton's RBI single to left field scored Scotton.

It was Western Carolina's explosive seven run fifth inning that clinched the game for the Catamounts. With one out, Steinhardt hit the first triple of her career when she smoked a shot to right field. Scotton hit into a fielder's choice in which Ohio's infield chose to try and get Steinhardt at home, the play failed and Steinhardt scored to tie the game at three.

With two outs, Pace singled to the left side and Heather Chastainwalked to load the bases. Fulton struck again, with runners on, when she hit a bloop single into shallow left field, scoring Scotton and Pace. Griffin followed with an RBI single of her own, scoring Chastain and moving Fulton to third. After a pitching change, in which starting Ohio pitcher Kaylin Clarke was replaced by Caitlin Colven, Foster capped off the day with her third homerun on the day, a three RBI shot to left field.

Steinhardt gave up back-to-back singles to Ohio to start the sixth inning before yielding a homerun to pinch hitter Alexandria Basquez. The three RBI shot by Basquez trimmed Western Carolina's six run lead to three. Steinhardt was replaced by Garrett who gave up a single before forcing a pair of groundouts to end the inning.

Steinhardt earned the win in the game, going 5.1 innings giving up six runs on nine hits improving to 3-4 on the year. Garrett picked up the first save of her career giving up one hit, and striking out the final batter of the top of the seventh to end the game.

Western Carolina had 12 hits in the second game. Fulton and Griffin led the Catamounts with three hits and Foster had two.

The Catamounts host their first Southern Conference series of the season beginning Saturday when WCU welcomes College of Charleston. Western Carolina faces the Cougars for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday and then wraps up the series with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.