Box Score |   

The Basics
Score: Mercer 7, Western Carolina 4
Records: Western Carolina 15-33, 2-13 SoCon, Mercer 31-15, SoCon 10-3
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (Catamount Softball Complex)

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Western Carolina softball battled with Mercer but came up short in a 7-4 loss to the Bears Sunday on Senior Day at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Turning Point
With Mercer holding onto a slight 5-4 lead, the Bears scored three runs in the top of the seventh to all but ice the game.

How it Happened
- After two scoreless innings, Mercer got on the board first with two runs in the top of the third.
- Sophomore Ashlyn Long pulled the Catamounts within one run of the with one swing of the bat hitting a one-out homerun in the bottom of the third to make the score 2-1.
- Mercer went on to score two runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to build a 5-1 lead.
- The Catamounts got one run in the bottom of the fifth. Madison Armstrong drew a one-out walk and moved to second on Shaina Reed's single through the left side. Armstrong scored on senior Abigail Daniels two-out RBI double.
- In the bottom of the sixth Western Carolina made things interesting pulling within one run of Mercer, 5-4. Long got is started hitting a one-out single to left field and Hunter Gibbons followed with a double as Long scored off a Mercer error. Gibbons scored off an RBI single by Armstrong.
- Mercer plated three runs in the top of the seventh to all but put the game out of reach.

Inside the Box Score
- Three Western Carolina pitchers saw action in the game against Mercer. Sophomore Kinsey Liscio got the start and went 3.1 innings giving up four runs on 10 hits and struck out four and falling to 5-9 on the season. Liscio was replaced by Haley Brogden with one out in the fourth and went 1.2 innings allowing one run on three hits and struck out one. Kayla Brewer closed out the game pitching two innings allowing two runs on three hits and striking out one.
- Reed went 3-for-3 in the game while teammate Ashlyn Long had a pair of hits with two runs scored and an RBI.
- Mercer had 16 hits in the game while Western Carolina had nine.
- Western Carolina (10) and Mercer (11) combined to leave 21 batters on base in the game.

News & Notes
- With Long's homerun against Mercer on Sunday, she has hit a homerun in back-to-back games. She also has a season-high eight homeruns on the season which also ties for 12th in the WCU record books for homeruns in a season.
- For the second time in her career, Reed had three hits in a game.
- Gibbons has scored 77 runs in her career which ties her for ninth in the WCU record books for runs in a career.
- Gibbons is currently on a five-game hit streak.

Up Next
Western Carolina closes out the regular season on the road in a three-game Southern Conference series at ETSU May 4-5.

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