Box Score vs. Belmont

Box Score vs. Winthrop

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Western Carolina softball (7-10) split day three action Sunday at the Winthrop Invitational defeating Belmont 6-5, in nine innings, before falling to host Winthrop 4-2 at Terry Field.

Western Carolina 6, Belmont 5 (nine innings)

Western Carolina won its first extra-inning game of the season with the 6-5, nine inning, victory over Belmont. The Catamounts came back from being down 2-0 to take a 4-3 lead in the after its half of the seventh. The Bruins tied the game at four in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.

Belmont jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Kat Hollingsworth hit a two run homerun in the bottom of the third inning.

Taylor Sigmon's homerun in the top of the fifth cut the Belmont lead to one, 2-1. The Bruins pushed its lead back to two when they scored a run in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 3-1, Western Carolina rallied to take its first lead of the game, 4-3, in the top of the seventh inning. Sigmon led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a one out single by Heather Chastain. After freshman Anna Hughey pinch ran for Chastain, junior Crystal Cyr hit a three run homerun to give WCU a 4-3 advantage.

Starting Catamount pitcher Jordan Garrett got into a jam in the bottom of the seventh setting up the game-tying run for Belmont. Garrett gave up three walks to load the bases. Sigmon came into the game in relief with the bases loaded and walked Jess Andree to allow Belmont to score. Sigmon held Belmont in the next two batters forcing a fielder's choice groundout and a strikeout.

The International Tie-Breaker Rule came into effect in the eighth inning. Pinch runner Kassandra Flores was placed on second and scored on a Sigmon RBI double. Belmont tied the game in the bottom of the eight with a run of its own.

With the game tied 5-5, Western Carolina re-took the lead in the top of the ninth. With Mariscal placed on second, she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Chastain. Mariscal scored off an RBI single by Amber Kimrey.

Sigmon shut down Belmont in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Bruins' runner Kayla Wells was placed on second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Wells was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice and Sigmon forced Jessica Wilson to pop up to end the game.

Sigmon takes the win and improves to 2-1 on the season. She tossed 2.2 innings giving up two hits, striking out two and allowing one unearned run. Garrett got the start and went 6.1 innings in the no decision allowing four runs on five hits and striking out seven.

Sigmon went 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored and two RBI. Kimrey had a pair of hits.

As a team, Western Carolina had eight hits in the contest.

Winthrop 4, Western Carolina 2

After two scoreless innings, Winthrop got on the board with a run in the top of the third. Sara Allen led off with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by K.J. Uyeno.

Western Carolina took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs. Back-to-back singles by Price and Sigmon placed Catamount runners on first and second. Price singled to left field picking up an RBI when Salvo scored. Sigmon scored the second run of the inning on an Eagle error.

Winthrop tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead and padded its lead with a run in the top of the seventh.

Sophomore Courtney Buchanan got the start and takes the loss falling to 0-3 on the season. Buchanan went five innings allowing three runs on four hits and struck out six. Sigmon closed out the game throwing two innings giving up one run on three hits and struck out three.

Salvo went 3-for-3 in the game with a run scored.

Western Carolina will travel to San Diego, California this week for the program's first trip out West. The Catamounts will compete in the San Diego Classic beginning March 13.