Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Western Carolina softball was swept by Furman 3-0, 8-6 Saturday in Southern Conference action at the Catamount Softball Complex. Between games one and two seniors Jordan Garrett and Heather Chastain were honored.

The Catamounts fall to 20-28 and 8-8 in Southern Conference play. Furman improves to 25-21 and 8-6 in the SoCon.

THE BASICS:
· Western Carolina was shutout in game one, 3-0, for the first time since March 11 falling 1-0 at Cal State Bakersfield ... It was the first time this season Western Carolina has been shutout in Southern Conference play.
· For the second straight week, Western Carolina dropped its Southern Conference doubleheader after being swept by at Chattanooga 7-1, 8-3 April 18.
· It was the first time this season a team has taken a doubleheader from Western Carolina at home ... Prior to the pair of losses with Furman, WCU was 8-1 at home and now falls to 8-3.
· Western Carolina is 8-8 in conference play and needs to salvage a win on Sunday to secure a winning record in SoCon play.

HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 1 (Furman 3, Western Carolina 0):
· After four scoreless innings, Furman's Ambree Muller hit a lead-off homerun to give the Paladins a 1-0 lead.
· Starting senior pitcher Garrett gave up a walk in the fifth inning and was replaced by Taylor Sigmon ... A Furman single and an error in left field by WCU allowed two runs to score giving the Paladins the 3-0 lead and eventual win.

HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 2 (Furman 8, Western Carolina ):
· Furman scored three runs in the third inning beginning with back-to-back hits, a double by Mueller and a single by Natalie Clemmons.
· Furman made it 5-0 when Taylor Jenkins hit a two-run homerun off relief pitcher Sigmon who replaced Garrett in the fifth.
· Junior right fielder Victoria Mariscal cut the Furman lead to one with one swing of the bat on a one out grand-slam ... It was Mariscal's fifth homerun of the season and first grand-slam of her career ... It was also the team's third grand-slam on the season.
· Sophomore Catamount pitcher Courtney Buchanan replaced Sigmon to start the sixth inning and gave up a solo homerun and a two-run homerun to push the Furman lead to 8-4.
· Western Carolina scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth including Sigmon scoring on a wild pitch and Amber Kirmey scoring on a single RBI by Karley Harkey.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORES:
· Senior pitcher Garrett started both games and took the loss in each ... She went 5.1 innings in game one and four innings in game two and falls to 14-14 on the year.
· Garrett recorded her 700th career strikeout in game one against Furman and ended the doubleheader with 708 strikeouts in her career.
· Three different pitchers saw action in the two games combined: Garrett, Sigmon and Buchanan.
· Senior catcher Heather Chastain had her 10-game hitting streak snapped in game one against Furman ... She did pick up a hit in game two and now has had at least one hit in 11 of the last 12 games.
· Western Carolina had just two hits in game one.
· Western Carolina did not have a lead-off batter get on in game one and had a lead-off runner just twice in game two.
· Harkey and Kimrey each had a pair of hits in game two.
· Western Carolina gave up three homeruns in game two.

Western Carolina will host Furman Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Catamount' final home game of the year.