Box Score Feb. 21, 2016
Box Score
The Basics
Score: Western Carolina 10 - North Carolina A&T 4
Records: Western Carolina 8-2, North Carolina A&T 4-4
Location: CSU Softball Stadium - Charleston, S.C.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Western Carolina softball is off to its best start in school history, in the first 10 games, after defeating North Carolina A&T 10-4, Sunday, to close out play at the CSU Tournament hosted by Charleston Southern.
Turning Point
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Western Carolina exploded for five runs to take control of the game.
How it Happened
- North Carolina A&T took the early lead scoring two runs in the top of the first.
- Western Carolina sliced the lead to one, in the second inning, when NC A&T walked four straight batters. With bases loaded courtesy of walks, Madison Armstrong drew a walk to score Courtney Price.
- Western Carolina took control of the game in the bottom of the fifth scoring five runs. Abigail Daniels got the scoring started with a one out single. Kara Salvo followed with a single and a fielder's choice on Crystal Cyr allowed Daniels to score to tie the game at two. Taylor Sigmon followed with an RBI single scoring Salvo and Cyr scored on a single by Price. A NC A&T illegal pitch call advanced the runners allowing Hunter Gibbons to score Sigmon on sacrifice fly RBI. Armstrong's RBI single scored Price for the final run of the game.
- NC A&T added a run in the top of the fourth and the fifth.
- WCU kept pouring on the runs starting with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Kassandra Flores drew a lead-off walk and Daniels hit an RBI triple to score Flores. A ground out RBI by Salvo plated Daniels for the second run of the inning.
- WCU tacked on another run in the fifth inning. With one out, Gibbons singled to second base. Gibbons scored off an RBI single past the shortstop by Flores.
- The Catamounts closed out their scoring in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Sigmon reached first on a NC A&T fielding error and scored off a sacrifice fly RBI by pinch hitter Brooke Coggins.
Inside the Box Score
- Western Carolina had 10 runs on 10 hits.
- The Catamounts did not commit an error in the game.
- Junior hurler Courtney Buchanan tossed a complete game the first of the Catamount pitching staff to do so this year. Buchanan allowed four runs on four hits and struck out six. She improves to 4-1 on the season.
- Daniels went 3-for-3 in the game with two runs scored and an RBI. - Sigmon and price each scored a pair of runs.
News & Notes
- Western Carolina's 8-2 start is the best in school history in the first 10 games of the season.
- Daniels hit the first triple of her career.
- Buchanan's 4-1 start is the best of her career as a Catamount.
- The 10 runs scored by WCU is second time this season the Catamounts have scored 10 or more runs in a game.
- WCU has outscored its opponent by six or more runs in six of its 10 games this season. - Western Carolina has gone 4-1 in each of its first two tournaments of the season. - After falling to Charleston Southern on Friday, WCU has won three straight games.
- Four Catamounts have amassed double figure hits in the first 10 games of the season: Cyr (13), Sigmon (13), Salvo (12) and Price (10).
Up Next
Western Carolina competes in a tournament hosted by Western Kentucky Feb. 26-28 in Bowling Green, Ky.
For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.