Box Score

The Basics
Score: UNCG 9, Western Carolina 7
Records: Western Carolina 8-17, 0-3 SoCon, UNCG 28-7, 6-0 SoCon
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (Catamount Softball Complex)

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- In a wild and wooly Saturday afternoon game, in which a total of 16 runs were scored between the two teams, UNCG escaped with a 9-7 win over Western Carolina in the finale of the three-game Southern Conference series at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Turning Point
UNCG scored in all but two innings, plating two runs in four of the five innings the Spartans scored in.

How it Happened -
Western Carolina took the early 2-0 lead scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Erica Hayes led off with a double and Ashlyn Long followed with a single. Madison Armstrong was hit by a pitch to load the bases with Catamounts. After UNCG got two quick outs, Kailey McNeil got WCU on the board with a two-RBI singles scoring E. Hayes and Long.
- UNCG pulled within one run of WCU in the top of the second on one swing of the bat when Jasmine Palmer hit a solo homerun. The Spartans tied the game when with the bases loaded Makenna Matthijs hit a sacrifice fly RBI to tie the game at 2-2.
- The Spartans took its first lead of the game scoring a pair of runs in the top of the third to lead 4-2. - The Catamounts kept clawing and got one run back scoring a run in the bottom of the third. Hunter Gibbons led off the inning with a single and went around to score off a sacrifice fly by RBI by McNeil. - The third straight inning in which UNCG scored two runs gave the Spartans a 6-3 lead after the top of the fourth.
- Western Carolina had arguably its best inning of the three-game series in the bottom of the fourth. The Catamounts capitalized on key Spartan miscues to plate four runs in the inning and retake the lead 7-6. Lauren Maynor started it off for WCU with a single and E. Hayes followed with a walk. A Spartan error allowed Ashlyn Long to reach first and Maynor scored on the error. The second straight UNCG error put Armstrong on base. Back-to-back passed balls by UNCG scored two WCU runs as E. Hayes and Long scored on passed balls. Two more walks by UNCG put Gibbons and McNeil on base to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Kassandra Flores was hit by a pitch to score the Catamounts fourth run of the inning.
- UNCG retook the lead with a run in the top of the fifth to lead 8-7. The Spartans tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
- Western Carolina did have a rally attempt in the bottom of the seventh inning. E. Hayes led off with a single and with one out Armstrong was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to put the tying run on. With two outs, Shaina Reed drew a walk to load the bases. The Catamounts couldn't get a run across to extend the inning to close out the game.

Inside the Box Score
- Three different Catamount pitchers and four from UNCG saw action in the game.
- WCU sophomore Kinsey Lisco got the start and went for a combined three innings after she left the game in with two outs in the top of the third inning. Liscio came back into the game with two outs in the top of the seventh. Combined she gave up four runs on four hits, walked five and struck out one. - Junior Lily Hayes replaced Liscio in the third inning and went 3.1 innings giving up four runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two. She became the pitcher of record falling to 3-8 on the year.
- Freshman hurler Haley Brogden saw 0.2 innings of work giving up one run on one hit.
- The two teams combined to leave 27 runners on base as UNCG left 14 and WCU left 13.
- There were a total of 19 hits in the game with 11 from UNCG and nine from the Catamounts.
- Hayes went 3-for-4 in the game scoring a pair of runs. - McNeil had a hit and three RBI.

News & Notes
- The seven runs Western Carolina scored against UNCG is the most the Spartans have given up since falling 7-0 to Georgia on March 3. It is also the most runs a SoCon team has scored against UNCG this season.
- The seven runs scored by WCU against UNCG is the most runs the Catamounts have scored in a game since scoring nine runs in the 9-8 win over Northern Illinois on March 11.
- Gibbons has reached base safely in eight straight games.
- Freshmen Addie Pate and Lauren Maynor got the first hits of their Catamount career in the game against UNCG on Saturday.

Up Next
Western Carolina will hit the road Tuesday for a doubleheader against former Southern Conference rival Appalachian State. The contest is a make-up date from March 14 when the game was postponed due to inclement weather. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. and can be seen on AppVision.

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