Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score |   

The Basics
Score: Western Carolina 5, NC Central 0; Western Carolina 6, NC Central 4
Records: Western Carolina 8-14, North Carolina Central 6-12
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (Catamount Softball Complex)

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Western Carolina softball swept visiting North Carolina Central 5-0, 6-4 Thursday in the Catamounts' home opener, at the Catamount Softball Complex, to extend their winning streak to four straight.

Turning Point
Four of Western Carolina's five runs were scored off homeruns and junior pitcher Lily Hayes tossed a one-hit shutout.

How it Happened
- Western Carolina's first runs of the game were set up when sophomore Ashlyn Long was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first. Long got a quick trip around the bases when Madison Armstrong followed her with a two-run homerun.
- Hunter Gibbons continued the first inning with a single to centerfield. The Catamounts loaded the bases when Shaina Reed walked and Danielle Chapman singled. In a bang-bang play, Kassandra Flores beat out a throw at first base for an infield RBI single scoring Gibbons for the third run of the inning.
- One swing of the bat put WCU up 5-0 when the Catamounts scored a pair of run in the fourth inning. With one out, Erica Hayes singled up the middle and Long followed with a cue shot homerun over the left field wall.

Inside the Box Score
- L. Hayes had a no-hitter through six and a third innings before NC Central's Aleyah Evans hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh.
- The one hit by NC Central didn't tarnish a brilliant pitching performance from L. Hayes who tossed seven innings of shutout softball giving up one hit and striking out a career-high 11.
- Western Carolina had eight hits in the game and did not commit an error.
- Armstrong and Flores each had two hits in the game.

Turning Point
With the game tied 4-4, sophomore second baseman E. Hayes hit a two-run homerun to right field, in the bottom of the sixth inning, to give WCU its first lead of the game, 6-4. The Catamounts held on after that for the win.

How it Happened
- After being shutout in game one, NC Central wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in game two thanks to a two-run homerun by Courtney Mirabella in the first inning.
- The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead scoring two more runs in the top of the third.
- Western Carolina began chipping away at the NC Central lead with one run in the fourth inning. Armstrong led off the inning with a double to right field. With two outs, Chapman singled up the middle for the RBI scoring Armstrong.
- The Catamounts tied the game in the top of the fifth inning. Pinch-hitter Cheyenne Mathews started it all with double to center field. With one out, Long reached on an Eagles error to allow Abigail Daniels, who reentered for Mathews to score. The Catamounts tied the game on a two-run homerun to left field by Hunter Gibbons.
- Western Carolina took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, pinch hitter Lauren Maynor reached on the second Eagle error of the game. E. Hayes made NC Central pay for the miscue as she hit her first homerun of the season to right field for the two-run shot to give WCU the 6-4 lead.

Inside the Box Score
- Kinsey Liscio got the start against North Carolina Central going three innings giving up four runs on five hits and striking out three.
- Liscio was lifted after the third inning and replaced by L. Hayes to start the fourth. L. Hayes closed out the game tossing a three-hit shutout and striking out six. She picked up the win and improves to 3-6 on the year.
- NC Central had eight hits and WCU ended the game with six. Five of Western Carolina's six hits in the game came after the third inning.
- E. Hayes went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

News & Notes
- Eight of Western Carolina's 11 runs in the NC Central doubleheader came from homeruns.
- The Catamounts are on a four-game winning streak - the longest of the season for WCU.
- Western Carolina is outscoring opponents 24 to 13 over the last four games.
- Also, during the current four-game winning streak hurler L. Hayes has a 3-0 record with a 0.89 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched with a shutout and 18 strikeouts.
- Gibbons' homerun, in game two against NC Central, gives her four for the season and pushes her career total to 21. She currently ranks tied for fourth in the WCU record books. Gibbons is chasing the program's homerun record of 29 currently held by former Catamount standout Lauren Ross.
- E. Hayes is on a six-game hitting streak.
- Western Carolina is now 5-0 against NC Central all-time.
- Western Carolina has hit at least one homerun in a game in four of the last five games.

Up Next
Western Carolina will now have a week off before entering Southern Conference play on Friday, March 30, The Catamounts host UNCG in a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader with the Spartans at 1 p.m. For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.