Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina softball fell 1-0 to Furman Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex.

The win hands the Paladins the Southern Conference series sweep of the Catamounts. It was the first time this season WCU has been swept in a three-game series.

The Catamounts fall to 20-29 on the year and 8-9 in Southern Conference play. Furman improves to 26-21 and 9-6 in the SoCon.

Western Carolina has completed its swing through the Southern Conference and will have an off weekend next weekend as the remaining six teams play each other. The Catamounts will have to sit idle with its 8-9 SoCon record and await its final seeding in the SoCon Championships which gets underway May 6 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

In the game on Sunday, a pitcher's duel between Western Carolina senior hurler Jordan Garrett and Furman's Lindsey Bert came to a screeching halt in the top of the seventh inning. Garrett had worked around four walks she gave up in the first six innings but couldn't wiggle out of the three she yielded in the seventh.

Despite giving up a lead-off single to Furman pinch hitter Anna Rose Borrelli, Garrett looked like she might get out of the inning when the runner at second was erased on a sacrifice bunt attempt and another sacrifice bunt put a Paladin runner on second with two outs. However, Garrett gave up two walks to load the bases and a third consecutive to issue a free pass home to the Paladins in the cheap way for a batter to earn an RBI.

The Catamounts did attempt a rally in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles by Heather Chastain and Taylor Sigmon. The ensuing Catamount batters couldn't get a runner across the plate after a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third and the next two struck out to end the game.

Western Carolina out-hit Furman five hits to two but again the Paladins benefitted from the game-breaking three walks in the top of the seventh.

Garrett takes the loss and falls to 14-15 on the year giving up one run on two hits and striking out seven.