Softball Travels to Mercer Bears Classic

Returns to action after a week break

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – After a week break Western Carolina softball returns to action in the Catamounts' final regular-season tournament of the season traveling to Macon, Ga. for the Mercer Bears Classic Saturday and Sunday.

The Catamounts will be facing off against Southern Mississippi, Presbyterian, and Winthrop.

LIVE STATS (Gm. 1) | LIVE STATS (Gm. 2) | LIVE STATS (Gm. 3) | LIVE STATS (Gm. 4)

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CATAMOUNTS:

Ironically, the tournament at Mercer was the same tournament Catamount softball was scheduled to attend before the event was canceled ahead of the COVID-19 Pandemic that shut down Western Carolina athletics in the 2020 season.
Western Carolina and Southern Mississippi meet for the second and third time at the Mercer Bears Classic. The Catamounts lost the lone meeting 4-2 in 2011. Presbyterian and Western Carolina meet up for the 19th time and the two teams are tied 9-9 with the two teams splitting the doubleheader at Presbyterian in 2019. The Catamounts and Winthrop are matching up for the 21st time with the Eagles leading the series 12-8. In 2020, Winthrop and WCU split the doubleheader in Cullowhee with the Catamounts winning game one, 4-3, losing the second game 9-6.
Western Carolina is coming off a pair of slugfest losses to Radford on Mar. 5 when the team lost 9-8, in 10 innings, and 12-8. WCU combined for 16 runs and 22 hits, with the 14 hits in game one being a season-high.
The Catamounts have lost nine of its last 10 games with the lone win in that 10-game span coming from a 6-4 victory over Longwood.
Western Carolina has three players hitting above .300 led by junior Bailey Huneycutt's .389. Senior Kailey McNeil has a .333 batting average while sophomore Anna-Paige Pelfrey has a .303 batting average.
Huneycutt also paces the team in hits with 14 including three home runs.
Pelfrey had her 10-game hitting streak snapped in the first game against Radford last Friday.
McNeil has had multiple-hit games in the last three contests.
Hurler Jayme Eilers leads the team with 40 strikeouts which leads the Southern Conference. Her 63 career strikeouts rank 16th in the WCU record books.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS:

Southern Miss is coming off a 1-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana on Wed. The Golden Eagles split with the Catamounts past opponent Troy on Mar. 16. Southern Miss enters the tournament 12-9 and is led by Karsen Pierce's .318 batting average.
Presbyterian had 10 games canceled or postponed before the club finally got to play South Carolina State on Mar. 9. The Blue Hose and Bulldogs split the doubleheader with Presbyterian losing game one 8-0, in five innings, and bouncing back to win game two, 3-1. Presbyterian is 5-1 and is led by Jillian Hewes' .467 batting average.
Winthrop opens the Mercer Bears Classic on Friday facing North Dakota. Entering the tournament, the Eagles are 10-8 after sweeping the doubleheader with the College of Charleston. Ansley Gilreath paces Winthrop with a .529 batting average.

For all the updates on Catamount softball follow @catamounts (Twitter) and recaps please follow go to www.catamountsports.com and for in-game updates please go to @CatamountSB (Twitter).

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Players Mentioned

#62 Jayme Eilers: P; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#35 Bailey Huneycutt: SS; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

#17 Kailey McNeil: C; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#2 Anna-Paige Pelfrey: UT; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#62 Jayme Eilers
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

#35 Bailey Huneycutt
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: SS

#17 Kailey McNeil
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: C

#2 Anna-Paige Pelfrey
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: UT