Box Score

The Basics:
Score: Chattanooga 7, Western Carolina 4
Records: Western Carolina 10-21, 2-7 SoCon, Chattanooga 12-27, 2-7 SoCon
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Western Carolina softball dropped the final game of the three-game series at Chattanooga 7-4 Sunday at Frost Field. The Catamounts did secure the conference series, winning two of three, after taking the doubleheader on Saturday.

Turning Point:
Chattanooga scored five runs in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of four walks by Western Carolina pitchers, to take its first lead of the three-game series and lead to the win. The Mocs' victory held Chattanooga avoid the SoCon sweep by the Catamounts.

How it Happened:
Western Carolina got on the board first scoring a run in the top of the second. Designated player Cheyenne Mathews opened the top of the second with a single up middle and Courtney Price followed with a single. Shaina Reed laid down a nice bunt to move pinch runner Emily Weatherman to third and Price to second. Weatherman scored courtesy of a RBI single by Kara Salvo. Chattanooga exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second, assisted by four walks by the Western Carolina pitching staff, to take a 5-1 lead. WCU got a run back thanks to a Mocs' error allowing Madison Armstrong to score. Chattanooga got the run back scoring a run after the bases were loaded for the second straight inning, to push the Moc lead to 6-2. After not scoring in the fourth Chattanooga scored again in the bottom of the fifth adding a run to lead 7-2. WCU attempted a rally in the top of the seventh when Hunter Gibbons was hit by a pitch and a Chattanooga error placed runners at second and third. Pinch hitter Kassandra Flores hit a one-out RBI single to score Gibbons. After career leader for being hit by a pitch Salvo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Abigail Daniels hit a sacrifice fly RBI but Flores was thrown out at third to end the inning and the game.

Inside the Box Score:
- For the second straight day, Shaina Reed got the start in a game against Chattanooga and was pulled in the second inning with one out. She went 1.1 innings giving up three runs on one hit and walking three. Reed takes the loss and falls to 2-5 on the year.
- Senior pitcher Courtney Buchanan replaced Reed and went just 0.2 innings giving up three runs on four hits. Buchanan was lifted for Lily Hayes in the third inning.
- L. Hayes closed out the game tossing four innings giving up five hits and did not allow an earned run.
- WCU had eight hits in the game and gave up 10. - Price and Daniels each had a pair of hits in the game.

News & Notes:
- Western Carolina took its first Southern Conference series of the season winning the doubleheader against Chattanooga on Saturday. The Catamounts failed to secure the series sweep against the Mocs dropping the Sunday contest.
- The Catamounts turned six double plays in the three-game series against Chattanooga.
- The SoCon series win against Chattanooga is only the second time in program history Western Carolina has won a conference series against the Mocs. WCU won the series against Chattanooga in 2016, taking two of three, in the Catamounts inaugural season in 2006.
- Price hit her sixth double of the season and 34th of her career to continue to hold first place in the WCU record books for doubles in a career.
- Price now has 105 career runs ranking her second in the WCU record books. She needs four runs to take over first place.
- For the weekend, L. Hayes came into relief in three games tossing a total of 9.1 innings and did not allow an earned run. She allowed seven hits and struck out two.

Up Next:
Western Carolina completes a five-game road swing on Wednesday traveling to Radford for a doubleheader that is set to begin at 3 p.m.

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