Box Score vs. Valpo Box Score vs. SEMO

The Basics
Score: Western Carolina 5 - Valparaiso 4 / Western Carolina 8 - Southeast Missouri State 0 (five innings)
Records: Western Carolina 10-2, Valparaiso 0-6 / Southeast Missouri State 1-5
Location: WKU Softball Stadium -- Bowling Green, Ky.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Carolina softball swept day one action at the Holiday Inn Spring Fling, hosted by Western Kentucky. The Catamounts came from behind to defeat Valparaiso 5-4 and closed out the day by shutting down Southeast Missouri State 8-0 in five innings.

Turning Point
Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Western Carolina scored three runs to take its first lead of the game. Madison Armstrong's RBI single gave WCU its third run of the inning and proved to be the game-winning hit as Valparaiso scored a run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough, as WCU won 5-4.

How it Happened
-Valparaiso broke open a scoreless game with a run in the bottom of the second. - Valpo tacked on a second run in the bottom of the third.
- The Catamounts cut the Valpo lead in half with a run in the top of the fourth. Courtney Price led off with a double and, with two outs, Karley Harkey sent her in on an RBI single to right field - Valpo pushed its lead to 3-1 with a run in the bottom of the fourth.
- WCU cut the Valpo lead back to one with a run in the top of the fifth. After singles by Kara Salvo and Taylor Sigmon. Price drew a walk to load the bases. Gibbons patiently forced a walk scoring Salvo and earning an RBI.
- The Catamounts exploded for three runs, and took the lead, in the top of the seventh. Salvo led it off with a single. With one out, Sigmon got her third hit of the game hitting a single to left field. WCU took the first lead of the game on a two RBI double to right center by Price. The Catamounts added its much needed, as it would turn out, insurance run courtesy of an RBI single by Amrstrong.
- Valpo made it interesting cutting the WCU lead to one, 5-4, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh. Sigmon came back into the game, after starting, in relief and closed out the game forcing a fly out to first base to end the game.

Inside the Box Score
-Sigmon started the game in the circle for WCU before being replaced in the second inning by freshman Lily Hayes.
- Hayes earned her second win of the season, improving to 2-0, going 3.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits and striking out four. - Sigmon notched her second save of the season, after starting the game. She came back into the game in the bottom of the seventh to close out Valpo and earn the save.
- Sigmon led the team going 3-for-4 in the game and a run scored.
- Salvo, Price and Harkey each had a pair of hits in the game and Price also scored two runs and had two RBI. - As a team, Western Carolina had 11 hits and Valpo had eight.

Turning Point
Western Carolina scored four runs in the bottom of the first and plated runs in three of the next four ensuing innings to shut out SEMO.

How it Happened
- Western Carolina jumped out to an early 4-0 lead scoring four runs in the top of the first against SEMO. The Catamounts had bases loaded with its first three batters after Daniels walked, Salvo was hit by a pitch and Crystal Cyr walked. Sigmon ground out but scored Daniels for an RBI and WCU's first run. Price drew the third walk of the inning to load the bases for the second time. Gibbons hit a two RBI single to right field scoring Salvo and Cyr and then advanced to second. A sacrifice hit by Armstrong earned her an RBI and gave WCU its fourth run of the inning.
- A mini two-out rally plated WCU's fifth run of the game in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Price singled past the shortstop and Gibbons sent her home on an RBI double down the left field line.
- Harkey set up the sixth run of the game hitting a triple to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Harkey scored on a fielder's choice RBI forced by Victoria Mariscal.
- Gibbons ended the game, in five innings, with one swing of the bat. After Price drew a lead-off walk, Gibbons launched a rocker over the centerfield wall to score the Catamounts' seventh and eight runs of the game and end the contest after five innings.

Inside the Box Score
- Junior pitcher Courtney Buchanan improved to 5-1 on the season tossing 3.1 innings of shutout ball giving up three hits and striking out four.
- Sigmon closed out the game replacing Buchanan tossing 1.1 innings of shutout ball not allowing a hit and striking out three.
- Gibbons just missed going for the cycle going 3-for-3 with a single, a double and a homerun. She knocked in five RBI and scored a run.
- Price scored three runs in the game.

News & Notes
- Harkey hit the sixth triple of her career, and second of the 2016 season, in the 8-0 shutout of SEMO Friday. She is now tied for first in the Catamount record books.
- The 8-0 shutout of SEMO is the second time this season the Catamounts have shutout an opponent and fifth time WCU has won a game in six innings or less.
- Gibbons hit her third homerun of the season tying her with Crystal Cyr and Harkey for most homeruns in a season.
- With three hits, in two games on Friday, Sigmon now has 142 career hits moving her to sixth in the WCU record books for hits in a career.
- The 10-2 record, in the first 12 games of the season, is the fastest WCU has reached double digit wins in school history. In 2006, the first year of the program, the Catamounts were 9-3 in the first 12 games of the season.

Up Next
Western Carolina continues play Saturday in the Holiday Inn Spring Fling hosted by Western Kentucky. The Catamounts face Ball State at 10:30 a.m. ET and then go up against the host Hilltoppers at 3 p.m.

For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.