March 24, 2012

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Two homeruns and strong pitching powered Western Carolina softball (11-18, 1-4 Southern Conference) to split the doubleheader Saturday with Southern Conference foe College of Charleston (17-13, 4-4 SoCon) at the Catamount Softball Complex. The Catamounts dropped game one 4-0 and bounced back to win game two 9-1.

It was the Catamounts' first Southern Conference win of the season. It was also the first time, this season, Western Carolina has won a shortened game, building an eight run lead after five innings.

After being shutout in the first game, 4-0, Western Carolina came back with a vengeance, offensively, in the second game. The power hitting backed up the return of senior lefty hurler Katie King, who missed the last eight games due to illness.

King tossed a complete game in the win. She allowed just one run on two hits and struck out two. She improves to 3-4 on the season.

Western Carolina scored in all four innings it played.

Senior centerfielder Erin Foster got the scoring started for Western Carolina, in the first inning of the second game. After Amelia Griffin drew a one out walk Foster smoked a two-run homerun over the centerfield wall. It was her ninth homerun of the season.

Amber Steinhardt hit the Catamounts second homerun of the game in the bottom of the second. Steinhardt led off the second with a long ball over the left centerfield wall for her second homerun of the year.

College of Charleston avoided a shutout with a run in the top of the third. Western Carolina's error allowed Mackenzie Maples to get on board as the lead-off runner and advanced to second. Maples was sacrificed over to third and scored on an RBI single by Ashton Jarrett.

The Catamounts didn't allow the Cougars to attempt a rally when it tacked on three more runs in their half of the third. With on out, and Shemekia Scotton at first, Steinhardt singled up the middle for her second hit of the game. A wild pitch by Cougars' relief pitcher Jen Rosene pushed Scotton and Steinhardt to second and third. Western Carolina loaded the bases when Haley Pace reached on a fielder's choice. Freshman catcher Heather Chastain laid down a beauty of a sacrifice bunt that sputtered just in front of home plate allowing Scotton to score, and move Pace and Steinhardt to second and third. Pinch hitter Morgan Wyatt laced an RBI double down the left field line scoring Steinhardt and Pace.

College of Charleston looked to threaten to score again in the top of the fourth. King gave a lead-off walk to Kelsey Hodgson. King bounced back with a pair of strikeouts and forcing Kristy Giragosian to hit into a fielder's choice and Hodgson was out on the play.

Again, Western Carolina offered offensive support to King in the top of the fourth inning, which proved enough to shorten the game to five innings. With one out, Foster singled to right field but was out at second when Kelly Braman hit into a fielder's choice. The inning stayed alive when Scotton singled past third base and Braman moved to second. Steinhardt sent a shot to centerfield and it looked like the Cougars' outfielder had it for the third out, but she misjudged the ball and it tipped off her glove. Braman and Scotton scored on the error and Steinhardt ended up at second. The Cougars' second error of the inning allowed Haley Pace to reach first and Steinhardt moved to second. A double steal by Western Carolina allowed Pace to move to second and Steinhardt to steal home.

College of Charleston needed at least one run to extend the game past the run rule with Western Carolina up by eight, 9-1. The Cougars looked to have something going when designated player, and the game's starting pitcher, Hope Klicker hit a double to left centerfield. With two outs, College of Charleston got another base runner when King hit Lizzy Vaughn. King got out of the inning and ended the game striking out Carly Corthell to end the game.

Freshman pitcher Jordan Fulton had a career-high 12 strikeouts in the Catamounts 4-0 loss in the first game. Besides a few minor hiccups, including Garrett giving up a homerun to Hodgson in the first inning, she turned in a strong performance.

After giving up the homerun in the first inning, Garrett tossed four scoreless innings before giving up a pair of runs in the sixth inning. College of Charleston also scored a run in the top of the seventh.

Garrett drops to 5-9 in the season with 12 strikeouts, five hits and three earned runs.

Western Carolina had its chances in the first game. After starting Cougar pitcher Stephanie Saylors down six straight Catamount batters, Pace ended her no-hitter with a single to the left side. Chastain hit a sacrifice bunt, moving Pace to second, but she attempted to move to third and was called out for the second WCU out of the inning. Crowe drew a walk and Jordan Fulton singled to keep the Catamount inning alive. Griffin ground out to end the threat.

The Catamounts threatened once more in the fourth inning. Kelly Braman doubled to right centerfield with one out. Saylors got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

Western Carolina had four hits in the first game.

The Catamounts and Cougars will play the rubber game of the three-game series at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex.