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Softball Has Homerun Hit Parade in Sweep of NC A&T 7-0, 8-5

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 March 18, 2015

Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball remained undefeated at home sweeping North Carolina A&T 7-0, 8-5 Wednesday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

The pair of victories halts the Catamounts' eight game losing streak and improves the team's overall record to 9-17 on the season. The Aggies fall to 5-14 on the year.

It was the first time this season Western Carolina has swept a doubleheader. The Catamounts also hit five homeruns in the two games combined and upped its seasonal homerun total to 19 which is four more than the team's 14 in the 2014 season.

Western Carolina 7, North Carolina A&T 0

Senior Catamount pitcher Jordan Garrett tossed a five hit shutout in seven innings of work to improve to 6-8 on the season. Garrett struck out eight batters and walked two. It was Garrett's second shutout of on the year.

The Catamounts didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard scoring three runs in the bottom of the first.

Western Carolina got a lead-off single by Abigail Daniels but she was erased at second as she tried to leg out her single into a double. Junior Victoria Mariscal followed reaching first on a NC A&T error and she quickly scored when sophomore third baseman Kara Salvo launched her first homerun of the season to left field for two runs. Junior Taylor Sigmon followed with a double to right center and with two outs stole third. Sigmon scored thanks to an RBI single by Crystal Cyr.

Through the first four innings, Garrett worked through a pair of Aggie base runners each time shutting down the final batter with a strikeout, a ground out or a fly out. Meanwhile, the Western Carolina battery kept on hitting. The Catamounts scored in four of its six innings.

After the three runs in the first, Western Carolina added a single run in the bottom of the third. Mariscal led off the third with a double to right center and the bases became loaded from a single by Salvo and a fielder's choice play by Sigmon. Courtney Price hit into a fielder's choice that scored Mariscal. The damage scoring wise could have been greater, with bases loaded and no outs but the Aggies got a ground out, a fly out behind the plate and a strike out to end the inning.

The Catamounts notched its second homerun of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Price doubled to right center and Cyr followed with a homerun to right center scoring Price.

Price got into the homerun rally in the seventh as she hit her third homerun of the year over the left field wall.

After allowing base runners in the first four innings. Garrett sat down eight consecutive batters in the fifth, sixth and start of the seventh. With two outs, Garrett yielded a double to Alejandras Barcenas but quickly forced the next batter to ground out to short stop to end the inning and close out the game.

Western Carolina strung together a season-high 13 hits in the game and the three homeruns by the team was also a team-high.

Cyr led the team going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Mariscal, and Price each had two hits.

Western Carolina 8, North Carolina A&T 5

Sophomore pitcher Courtney Buchanan threw four scoreless innings, giving up lead-off runners in the first two innings, before settling down a bit in the third and fourth innings. Buchanan worked around a second inning in which she led off the inning with a walk and a hit a batter. The Catamount defense held the Aggies keeping them off the scoreboard.

Western Carolina quickly took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Freshman Emily Helton, who was playing third base in the second game, went 4-for-4 in the game and led off the scoring, in the first, with a single. With two outs, Helton scored when Sigmon singled down the first base line.

In the third inning, Helton again led off the inning with a single up the middle. Mariscal pounded her fourth homerun of the year to left field to put WCU up 3-0.

The Catamounts huge bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs, was the insurance Western Carolina would eventually need to secure the game. With one out, Cyr drew a walk. The Catamounts loaded the bases when Heather Chastain and Karley Harkey each singled. Cyr recorded the second out of the inning when she was out at home when Amber Kirmrey reached first on a fielder's choice. Helton's two RBI single past the shortstop was her third hit of the game scoring Chastain and Harkey. The Catamounts added its third and fourth runs of the game off a two RBI double by Mariscal to right field.

North Carolina A&T finally scratched the scoreboard in the top of the fifth when the Aggies plated a pair of runs. The Aggies added another run in the top of the sixth.

Harkey hit the second homerun of the game, for Western Carolina, when she hit a solo shot to left center to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

Buchanan was relieved after six innings of work. Shen gave up three runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out five. She picked up the win, her first of the season, and improves to 1-6 on the season.

Sigmon came into the game in relief for Western Carolina in the seventh. After fanning the first two batters, Sigmon got her third strikeout of the inning but a passed ball by Salvo, who was catching for WCU, allowed the Aggie baserunner Kaelyn Moore to reach first. This set up the two run homerun by Jillian Nobles making the score 8-5. Maven McKnight followed with a single to extend the inning for the Aggies.

Sigmon closed out the game striking out Zebresha Blakeney to end the game. Sigmon had four strikeouts in the seventh inning.

Helton went 4-for-4 in the game with two RBI and three runs scored. Harkey followed going 2-for3 with two runs scored, an RBI and a homerun.

Western Carolina opens Southern Conference play March 21 hosting returning SoCon member ETSU. First pitch of the doubleheader with the Buccaneers is set for 1 p.m. at the Catamount Softball Complex.

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