Box Score

MACON, GA. - Western Carolina softball dropped the Southern Conference series finale at Mercer 3-1 Sunday at Sikes Field. The Bears take the overall series 2-1.

The Catamounts fall to 14-20 on the year and 3-3 in Southern Conference play. Mercer improves to 26-14 and 2-1 in SoCon play.

After each team threatened with base runners through the first four innings, it was Western Carolina who scratched the scoreboard first. Junior shortstop Karley Harkey led off with her second double of the game to right center field. Fellow junior Amber Kimrey laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to send Harkey to third. Freshman Anna Hughey came in to pinch hit and sent a laser to right center that just missed going over the wall to score Harkey.

Western Carolina had bases loaded off three straight singles in the top of the sixth, with two outs, from Heather Chastain, Emily Helton and Harkey but failed to score. The squandered golden scoring chance came back to haunt WCU in the bottom half of the sixth as Mercer plated three runs to take the lead and the game.

Back-to-back Western Carolina errors in the bottom of the sixth gave Mercer life. The Bears took advantage of the Catamount errors scoringt three runs in the inning. All told, Western Carolina had three errors in the inning to allow Mercer to take the lead and the game.

Senior pitcher Jordan Garrett started the game and threw four scoreless innings giving up two hits. She was replaced by Taylor Sigmon to start the fifth. Sigmon had a fairly easy fifth but ran into a log jam in the sixth inning.

With no outs and runners on the corners Garrett came back into the game in the bottom of the sixth. She gave up one run in the inning set up by a walk to load the bases.

Sigmon takes the loss and falls to 3-3 on the year.

Western Carolina travels to Virginia Tuesday for a mid-week non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. The pair of game being broadcast on the Catamountsports Network on catamountsports.com