Game 1 Box ScoreGame 2 Box Score

The Basics
Score: Western Carolina 14, ETSU 7, Western Carolina 4, ETSU 0
Records: Western Carolina 21-10, 2-0 SoCon, ETSU 8-11, 0-2 SoCon
Location: Betty Basler Field - Johnson City, Tenn.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Western Carolina softball swept the opening Southern Conference doubleheader at ETSU 14-7, 4-0 Friday at Betty Basler Field.

The Catamounts overcame a 6-1 deficit in the first two innings against ETSU, in game one, to outscore the Buccaneers 13-1 in the next five innings and win the opening conference game. Junior hurler Courtney Buchanan tossed a four hit shutout to pace Western Carolina in the 4-0 nightcap.

Turning Point
With Western Carolina trailing 6-1 after three innings, WCU scored 13 runs in the ensuing four innings, including hitting three homeruns, to overcome the deficit and take the win. In the fifth, it was Hunter Gibbons who tied the game, 7-7, on a two RBI single and Karley Harkey gave WCU an 8-7 lead on an RBI single up the middle.

How it Happened
- ETSU got back-to-back two out walks and Kelsey Smith hit a three-run homerun in the bottom of the first. The Buccaneers added an additional run off an RBI single by Jayci McGill. The Buccaneers scored four runs in the inning.
- Freshman Hunter Gibbons led off the top of the second with a walk. With two outs, it looked like the inning was over when Taylor Sigmon recorded the third out but she was called back to the batter's box when an illegal pitch was called on ETSU pitcher Lindsey Fadnek. Sigmon made the most of her second chance hitting an RBI single to score Gibbons.
- ETSU added two more runs with a two-run homerun by Cassi Pickett in the bottom of the second. - Sigmon struck again in the top of the fourth with a two RBI double. Freshman Madison Armstrong tacked on two more runs on the first homerun of her career - a two RBI shot, on a 3-0 count, that sailed over the left field wall to cut the Buccaneer lead to one, 6-5.
- ETSU pushed its lead to two, 7-5, on an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth.
- Western Carolina took its first lead of the game scoring six runs in the top of the fifth. Junior Kara Salvo got things started when she was hit by a pitch. Courtney Price followed with a single up the middle and both moved up a base when a ball in the dirt, after Crystal Cyr struck out, moved Salvo to third and Price to second. Gibbons tied the game with a two RBI double. Harkey's RBI single scored Gibbons and WCU took its first lead of the game, 8-7. However, WCU wasn't done as Sigmon singled up the middle and two runners on. Armstrong struck again hitting her second homerun of the game - a three RBI shot to give the Catamounts an 11-7 lead.
- WCU added three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Back-to-back singles by Price and Cyr got things started and Gibbons sent them home on a monster homerun to left field giving the Catamounts a 14-7 lead.

Inside the Box Score
- The 14 runs and 14 hits for Western Carolina were both season highs for the Catamounts.
- Armstrong hit two homeruns in the game, with the first one the first in her Catamount career.
- In the middle of the game, the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, WCU scored 13 of its 14 runs in the game.
- Sigmon got the start in the game going four innings allowing seven runs on seven hits, gave up five walks and struck out one. She got the win in the game and improves to 6-6 on the year.
- Junior hurler Courtney Buchanan came into the game in relief for Sigmon in the fifth inning with WCU leading 11-7. She tossed three scoreless innings allowing two hits, walked one and struck out five. Buchanan picked up her first save of the season.
- Five Catamount batters had multiple hits in the game led by Sigmon who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
- Gibbons and Armstrong combined for 10 of WCU's 14 runs. Armstrong had two homeruns in the game and five RBI while Gibbons belted a homerun and also had five RBI.

Turning Point
Western Carolina scored four runs in the first four innings and held ETSU scoreless to take the game. Leading 1-0, Salvo belted her first homerun of the season to push the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second.

How it Happened
- Western Carolina got on the scoreboard first scoring a run in the top of the first. Salvo got it started drawing a one out walk. Price followed with a single and Cyr picked up the second walk of the inning to load the bases. With two outs, Harkey singled through the right side for an RBI scoring Salvo.
- WCU plated two runs courtesy of the bat by Salvo. It all began with Abigail Daniels hitting a two out single. Salvo came up and launched a homerun over the left field wall for the two RBI long ball - it was also Salvo's first homerun of the season.
- A sacrifice fly RBI by Salvo scored Western Carolina's fourth run of the game in the top of the fourth. A single by Sigmon and a double by Armstrong, that just missed going over the center field wall, led off the fourth. Sigmon scored on the sacrifice fly RBI by Salvo.

Inside the Box Score
- Buchanan tossed her second straight complete game, in a start, allowing just four hits in the shutout. She also recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts and ups her record to 8-1.
- Western Carolina had 11 hits.
- Harkey led the team going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
- Salvo was 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored.
- Buchanan had a strikeout twice to end an inning against the Buccaneers.

News & Notes
- With hits in each game of the doubleheader, Harkey extends her hitting streak to nine games.
- Western Carolina had season highs in both runs (14) and hits (14) in game one against ETSU. - Western Carolina has hit at least one homerun in the last seven games.
- Buchanan recorded a new career-high nine strikeouts in game two against ETSU.
- Western Carolina is now 12-0 when leading after five innings.
- The Catamounts 2-0 start to Southern Conference play is just the second time WCU has started 2-0. The last time was way back at the start of the program in 2006 when the team swept the conference doubleheader with Furman. The 2006 season went on to sweep the series winning the Sunday game with the Paladins 4-1.
- The 4-0 win, in game two, against ETSU was the fifth time WCU has shutout an opponent this season. - With four hits in the doubleheader, Sigmon moves into a tie for fourth place, in the WCU record books for hits in a career with 157.
- In an update of her career RBI race, Sigmon currently has 95 RBI and needs three to move into second place and five to take over first place from former Catamount Lauren Ross who had 99 in her career.
- Western Carolina hit four homeruns in the pair of games Friday, three in game one, and one in game two.
- With the pair of wins Friday, Western Caroina extends its winning streak to four. In the four game span, Sigmon is hitting .583 with seven hits, a double, four runs scored and five RBI. Teammate Harkey is just behind, that four game span, hitting .571 with eight hits, four runs scored, a homerun and three RBI. 

Up Next
Western Carolina will attempt a sweep of ETSU when the two teams face off at 1 p.m. Saturday in Johnson City, Tenn. The final game of the series will be broadcast online on the Catamount Sports Network.

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