Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

The Basics:
Score: Virginia Tech 7, Western Carolina 0; Western Carolina 6, Virginia Tech 5
Records: Western Carolina 14-25, Virginia Tech 18-31
Location: Cullowhee, N.C.

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Hunter Gibbons hit a walk-off RBI single to help lead Western Carolina softball to a doubleheader split with visiting Virginia Tech Tuesday taking game two 6-5, after dropping game one 7-0, at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Turning Point:
Virginia Tech scored three runs in the first inning and two each in the third and fourth to shut out Western Carolina 7-0 in game one of the doubleheader.

How it Happened:
Virginia Tech set the tone in game one scoring three runs in the opening inning of the game. The Hokies would go on to score a pair of runs in the third and fourth inning to shut out the Catamounts. Western Carolina did have some solid scoring chances including bases loaded and one out in the fourth that was squelched when the Holies turned a double play. WCU had bases loaded and two outs, courtesy of a pair of Hokie errors, in the bottom of the seventh but failed to push a run across to close out the game.

Inside the Box Score:
- Virginia Tech left 12 runners on base.
- The Hokies had 17 hits in the game while Western Carolina had six.
- Sophomore Shaina Reed got the start in the pitching circle going 1.1 innings giving up three runs on six hits and facing 10 batters. She falls to 3-6 on the year.
- Sophomore Lily Hayes relieved Reed in the second inning and completed the game. She went 5.2 innings giving up four runs on 11 hits and struck out two.
- Gibbons went 2-for-2 in the game.

Turning Point:
With the score tied at five in the bottom of the seventh, Gibbons hit a two-out RBI single walk-off scoring Reed from second securing a 6-5 win for Western Carolina over Virginia Tech.

How it Happened:
For the second straight game, Virginia Tech scored in the first inning, this time plating just one run, to take a 1-0 lead over Western Carolina in game two. The Catamounts captured a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first aided by Ashlyn Long's lead-off homerun to start the bottom of the second. WCU took the lead when Abigail Daniels hit a single and scored courtesy of a RBI double by Courtney Price. Virginia Tech looked to take command of the game scoring four runs in the top of the third to lead 5-2. The Catamounts would have nothing of that tying the game, with three runs, in the bottom of the third. It all began, for WCU, with three straight singles by Daniels, Gibbons and Madison Armstrong. Price's two RBI single up the middle scored Daniels and Gibbons. Armstrong scored when Erica Hayes hit a ground out RBI to tie the game at five. Both teams turned defensive after that with three and a half scoreless innings before the Catamounts' walk-off game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Inside the Box Score:
- Freshman pitcher Kinsey Liscio had another strong outing tossing six innings in a no-decision. She allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out three. She was lifted prior to the seventh inning with the game tied 5-5.
- Senior hurler Courtney Buchanan came into the game in the seventh and got a three up and three down inning, getting a strikeout to end the top of the seventh, and keep the Hokies off the board. Buchanan's strong inning set up the game-winning hit for WCU in the bottom of the seventh. Buchanan takes the win and improves to 6-7 on the year.
- Gibbons was 3-for-4 in the game with a run scored and a RBI.
- Daniels had a pair of hits. - Virginia Tech left six runners on base and WCU stranded three. - Western Carolina and Virginia Tech combined for 10 runs in the first three innings of the game including a combined seven runs in the third inning alone.
- WCU had 10 hits and Virginia Tech had seven.
- Long hit her third homerun of the season.

News & Notes:
- Western Carolina picks up its first win over Virginia Tech since 2009 and is now 2-4 against the Hokies.
- Western Carolina is 4-2 over the last six games with Gibbons hitting .474 with nine hits, three doubles, a homerun, five RBI and four runs scored. She is one of three WCU players hitting above .400 in the last six games with Long hitting .409 and Daniels .400.
- Gibbons and Daniels have both reached base safely in the last six games with Daniels also on a six-game hitting streak.
- Gibbons hit five singles in the pair of games against Virginia Tech and continues to be tied for first place for doubles in a season with 14. She needs just one double to break the record.
- Price is sitting at 107 career runs and needs to score just two runs to break the school record for runs in a career.
- Western Carolina has hit at least one double in the last six games.
- The Catamounts have hit a homerun in four of the last six games.

Up Next:
Western Carolina travels to Mercer this weekend for a three-game Southern Conference series with the Bears. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday and the single game at 1 p.m. Sunday, It is the final SoCon road series of the season for the Catamounts.

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