Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Brilliant pitching performances by Jordan Garrett and Taylor Sigmon, along with timely hitting, gave way to Western Carolina softball clinching the doubleheader Southern Conference sweep of Samford Saturday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

The pair of victories is the first doubleheader conference sweep of the season for the Catamounts and the third conference series WCU has collected on the year. Western Carolina improves to 18-23 on the season and 7-4 in SoCon play. Samford falls to 27-16 and 8-3.

In the last 34 innings Western Carolina has given up just four runs and scored 18 with a record of 4-1.

Western Carolina 2, Samford 1

Western Carolina scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and then buckled down defensively to take the first game of the three-game series with Samford.

The two-out Catamount scoring rally began when sophomore third baseman Kara Salvo was hit by Samford starting pitcher Mollie Hanson. Back-to-back singles by Courtney Price and Crystal Cyr set up the first run for Western Carolina when Cyr's RBI single plated Salvo. Price scored on a wild pitch by Hanson.

The Bulldogs sliced the Catamount lead in half in the top of the second inning with the only true miscue by Garrett. Samford's Abby Adams hit a one-out homerun to left center to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.

Though Samford would threaten in the ensuing innings, Garrett and the Catamount defense had an answer at almost every turn. One of the biggest Catamount defensive plays of the game came in the third inning when left fielder Price threw a laser to the waiting Catamount catcher Heather Chastain to get Caitlin Bice out at home and end the inning.

Garrett also got strikeouts to end two of the six innings she saw action. In the seventh inning Taylor Sigmon was called on to close out the game and did so with the finesse of a Rembrandt painting. Sigmon notched a pair of strikeouts and forced a ground out to end the inning and the game.

In six innings of work, Garrett allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts to earn the win. Sigmon picked up the save. Price and Cyr each had a pair of hits.

Western Carolina 6, Samford 0

Samford pitcher Grey Adams gave up a run to Western Carolina in the bottom of the first. The Catamounts were held scoreless for the ensuing three innings before the WCU offense kicked into high gear.

Adams' lone run yielded was set up by a lead-off walk by Western Carolina's Emily Helton who scored from an RBI single to left center by Price.

Garrett again got the call for Western Carolina as the starting pitcher and was relentless in her four innings of work. She faced 18 batters and allowed just three hits. Sigmon threw three innings of work, coming in when the Catamounts were holding onto a tenuous 1-0 lead.

Cyr gave Sigmon some breathing room when she launched a three-run homerun over centerfield to put the Catamounts up 4-0. It was Cyr's team-leading seventh long ball of the season.

Samford made things interesting in the sixth when with two outs a Catamount error, a single and a walk loaded the bases with Bulldogs. Sigmon was ice cold staring down the Bulldog batter, pinch hitter Bice, striking her out to end the Samford threat.

The Catamounts padded its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. A Samford error put lead-off hitter Abigail Daniels, who came in to pinch hit, on first base. With one out, Brooke Coggins hit the first homerun of her Catamount career, a shot to left field, scoring a pair of runs and giving WCU a 6-0 lead.

Garrett got the win in both games and improves to 12-10 on the season. Sigmon picked up a pair of saves and now has five on the season.

Western Carolina will go for the SoCon sweep over Samford on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and the game can be heard on catamountsports.com.