April 23, 2014

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Western Carolina softball (17-27) was swept by Winthrop (26-21) 5-4, in eight innings, and 3-1 Wednesday at Terry Field.

In game one, senior Amelia Griffin broke Western Carolina career stolen base record with the 50th of her career. She usurps former teammate Jordan Fulton who had 49 in her time as a Catamount.

Winthrop 5, Western Carolina 4 (8 innings

Walks doomed Western Carolina in the first game of the doubleheader. Three times the Catamounts had the lead and watched it erode thanks to walks to the Eagles.

Western Carolina took a 4-3 lead in extra innings but that lead was short-lived when the Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the frame all thanks to free passes.

Catamount pitcher Jordan Garrett returned to the game in the eighth after starting and being lifted after five innings, for Taylor Sigmon, faced a runner on second, thanks to the international tie-breaker rule.

Garrett hit Alex White to open the bottom of the eighth and the Eagles had runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt pushed the runners to second and third, Garrett gave up three consecutive walks for Winthrop to tie the game and then walk in the winning run.

Western Carolina took the early 2-0 lead scoring twice in the top of the second. A walk by Karley Harkey and a single by Heather Chastain had runners on first and second and no outs for the Catamounts. With two outs, and Harkey and Chastain on second and third, freshman Lexi Ross hit an RBI single to left field scoring Harkey. Chastain scored on an RBI single by Amelia Griffin. It was during the second inning Griffin broke the career stolen base record.

Winthrop tied the game in the bottom of the third. Sara Allen hit a lead-off homerun against Garrett to cut the Catamount lead to 2-1. A two out walk to McKenzi Corn would come back to haunt Garrett as she would score on an RBI double by Mel Andrea. The Catamounts would take the lead back in the top of the fifth scoring one run. Taylor Sigmon lead off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Harkey's sacrifice fly RBI to centerfield scored Sigmon.

Sigmon came into the game in relief, replacing Garrett, to open the sixth. She was looking for her seventh save of the season but didn't get it. Sigmon gave up a lead-off walk, one of seven given up by Catamount pitchers in the game, and again a walk would come back to bite WCU. Andrea walked and would tie the game when Kelsey Ritter hit a high chopper over third baseman Kara Salvo's head and she not only got a double but also picked up an RBI as Andrea scored to knot the game at three.

After a scoreless seventh, the game went to extra innings. With Amber Kimrey placed on second, thanks to the International Tie-Breaker rule, Makenzi McAteer singled through the right side and moved to second as Kimrey was thrown out at home. With one out Courtney Price hit a two RBI double scoring McAteer.

Garrett started the game and went five innings before being replaced by Sigmon with the Catamounts leading 3-2. In two innings of work Sigmon blew the save opportunity giving up a run in the sixth inning. She went two innings allowing one run on two hits and struck out two.

With Garrett giving up the two runs in the eighth she takes the loss and falls to 8-14 on the season giving up four runs on three hits and striking out six.

Western Carolina out-hit Winthrop 12 to five but it was the seven walks given up by WCU that was the key to the Eagles win. Griffin, Harkey and McAteer each had a pair of hits in the game.

Winthrop 3, Western Carolina 1

Western Carolina shuffled its line-up a bit pushing Price to the lead-off position and promptly hit a double to lead off game two. Price would go to third on a passed ball. Price scored on a sacrifice fly RBI by Salvo.

Winthrop took the lead on a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Freshman pitcher Courtney Buchanan, getting the start, hit Naomi Stevens to start the inning and then gave up a homerun to Megan Winningham to put the Eagles up 2-1.

The Eagles extended its lead to 3-1 when Maddie Antone hit a one out homerun. After Buchanan followed the homerun by giving up the walk, she was pulled for sophomore hurler Mallory Broome who quickly picked up a strikeout for the second out. After giving up a walk, Broome forced Winningham to ground out and end the second.

Buchanan went 1.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits and falls to 6-7 on the season. Broome came in to finish out the game going 4.2 scoreless innings allowing three hits, walking one and striking out six.

Western Carolina hosts Furman in its final Southern Conference home series of the season this Saturday and Sunday. Seniors Griffin and McAteer will be honored between games one and two with the first game of the doubleheader set for 1 p.m. at the Catamount Softball Complex.