May 3, 2014

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Western Carolina softball (18-31, 8-12 Southern Conference) was swept by Chattanooga (29-19, 12-8 SoCon) 1-0, 10-2 Saturday at Frost Stadium. With the pair of losses, the Catamounts are locked into the No. 6 seed heading into next week's 2014 Southern Conference Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.

This is the second time under third year Head Coach Jim Clift the Catamounts have entered the SoCon Tournament as the No. 6 seed. In 2012, WCU was the 6th seed in Clift's first season at the helm. The Catamounts will face the No. 3 seed which will either be Chattanooga or Furman.

Chattanooga 1, Western Carolina 0

After threatening with runners in the first four innings, Chattanooga finally made good on a base runner in the fifth inning.

Starting Catamount pitcher Jordan Garrett was lifted to start the inning for relief pitcher Taylor Sigmon. With one out, Sarah Beth Roberts singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI double by Alyssa Taylor.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the sixth, Western Carolina got a lead-off single by freshman Whitney Haywood. Back-to-back strikeouts by freshmen Courtney Price and Kara Salvo and a ground out by Taylor Sigmon ended the threat.

With one out, in the top of the seventh, junior catcher Heather Chastain hit a bloop single to third to start a Catamount rally. Makenzi McAteer hit into a fielder's choice as pinch runner Lexi Ross was thrown out at second. Brooke Coggins singled up the middle to give Western Carolina runners at first and second but a ground out by Kimrey ended the threat and the game.

Garrett tossed four scoreless innings giving up four hits. The game was scoreless when she left so Garrett got the no decision.

Sigmon takes the loss and falls to 2-2 on the season giving up one run on three hits and striking out two.

Chattanooga got the lead-off hitter aboard in five of the six innings the Mocs' batted. Mocs' pitcher Katie Henderson takes the win and improves to 15-10 on the season recording nine strikeouts and a shutout.

Western Carolina had six hits in the game, including the lone extra base hit, a double, by Sigmon. Chattanooga had seven hits in the contest.

Chattanooga 10, Western Carolina 2

It took one swing of the bat for Chattanooga to take the early lead in game two when starting Western Carolina pitcher Mallory Broome gave up a lead-off homerun to Sarah Beth Roberts. After the homerun, Broome yielded a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases with two outs. Jesslyn Stockard hit a three RBI base clearing double to take on three more runs in the inning. Broome's second walk gave Chattanooga another base runner and a double by Sam Taylor scored the Mocs' fifth run of the first inning.

That fifth run by Broome knocked her out of the game with two outs and runners at second and third. Sigmon came into the game for the second straight time, in the doubleheader, in relief. Sigmon forced Roberts to ground out to end the Mocs' scoring barrage.

Broome saw the first action of her career at first base when it was a straight defensive switch, Sigmon moving to pitch and Broome to first. Broome recorded a putout when the groundout by Roberts went to short stop Karley Harkey who threw it over to Broome for the third out of inning one.

In the second inning, Broome came back into the game to pitch and Sigmon moved back to first. Broome settled down a bit and got a three-up-and-three down on the Mocs. Western Carolina scored its first runs of the series in the top of the third off a two RBI double by Kara Salvo. Brooke Coggins started the scoring drawing a one out walk. Whitney Haywood followed reaching first on a Chattanooga error. With two outs, Salvo blasted a double, that just missed leaving the ball park, scoring Coggins and Haywood.

Chattanooga got a run back in the bottom of the fourth off the second RBI double by Stockard. The Mocs added two more runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to cut the game to five innings.

After coming in to face one batter in the bottom of the first and the fourth, Sigmon started the bottom of the fourth inning. Sigmon ended the game tossing 1.1 innings giving up two runs on three hits.

Broome takes the loss and falls to 1-7 on the season. She went 3.1 innings allowing eight runs on seven hits and striking out one.

Chattanooga pitcher Taylor Deason takes the win and improves to 13-7. Western Carolina and Chattanooga will complete the three-game series Sunday with a 2 p.m. first pitch.