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Schedule

Full
Addie Pate
Ashley Evans, WCU Communications and Marketing
6
Winner Western Carolina WCU 17-18, 8-1 SoCon
4
Mercer MER 18-16, 3-4 SoCon
Winner
Western Carolina WCU
17-18, 8-1 SoCon
6
Final
4
Mercer MER
18-16, 3-4 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Carolina WCU 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 6 10 0
Mercer MER 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 4 2

W: Rice, Savannah (10-8) L: Madi Joice (5-6)

7
Winner Western Carolina WCU 18-18, 9-1 SoCon
0
Mercer MER 18-17, 3-5 SoCon
Winner
Western Carolina WCU
18-18, 9-1 SoCon
7
Final
0
Mercer MER
18-17, 3-5 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Carolina WCU 5 0 0 2 0 0 0 7 4 1
Mercer MER 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

W: Eilers, Jayme (8-8) L: Amber Byrd (5-5)

Game Recap: Softball | | Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Catamounts Blast Past Mercer to Sweep Doubleheader

Catamounts win third-straight conference doubleheader

The Basics 
Score: Western Carolina 6, Mercer 4; Western Carolina 7, Mercer 0
Records: Western Carolina 18-18, 9-1 SoCon; Mercer 18-17, 3-5 SoCon
Location: Macon, Ga., Sikes Field
 
MACON, Ga. – Western Carolina hit a combined five home runs in the pair of games against Mercer to propel the Catamounts to a 6-4, 7-0 doubleheader sweep Saturday at Sikes Field. 
 
Western Carolina 6, Mercer 4
 
Turning Point 
Western Carolina scored six runs over the first five innings and weathered a four-run fifth by the Bears. 
 
How it Happened 
  • A one-out single by Anna-Paige Pelfrey set up a two-run home run to centerfield by Addie Pate in the top of the second. 
  • In the top of the third, Bailey Huneycutt hit a solo home run, to left field, on the first pitch she saw. Senior Kailey McNeil, not to be outdone, followed Huneycutt with a solo home run of her own to put WCU up 4-0.
  • In the top of the fourth, the Catamounts scored a single run which began with a Pelfrey single. A single by Lindsay Perillo, with two outs, moved Pelfrey to third and she scored on a Bears' error. 
  • Twitty led off with fifth with a single and pinch-runner Riley Lambert, for Twitty, scored thanks to an RBI single by Jeralynn Wells. 
  • Mercer made things interesting scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth highlighted by Allie Jones' three-run home run. 
  • The Bears had just one base runner over the last two innings. Mercer was sat down in order at the bottom of the seventh. 
 
 
 
 Inside the Box Score 
  • Sophomore pitcher Savannah Rice tossed her 11th complete game of the season and improved to 10-8 on the season. She gave up four runs on four this and struck out four. 
  • Western Carolina had 10 hits in the game and held Mercer to four. 
  • From the end of the second and into the third inning three of five batters, in the conclusion of the second and beginning of the third, hit home runs. 
  • Perillo, Pelfrey, and Wells each had two hits in the game. 
 
 
Western Carolina 7, Mercer 0
 
Turning Point 
Western Carolina exploded for five runs in the first inning, adding two more in the fourth, and held the Bears to just one hit.
 
How it Happened 
  • Morgan Maddaluna led off the game with a single bunt down the first base line. Perillo's sacrifice bunt moved Maddaluna to second and she scored on a two-run home run by Huneycutt that hit the Mercer scoreboard. 
  • The first inning continued when McNeil and Myra Twitty drew back-to-back walks. Wells hit into a fielder's choice erasing Twitty at second but keeping two Catamounts on base. Savannah Baldwin struck out but a dropped strike three allowed her to motor to first setting up a Bears' error and allowing McNeil and Wells to score. Baldwin scored the fifth run of the inning on a Mercer wild pitch. 
  • A lead-off walk by Baldwin set up the Catamounts' sixth and seventh runs of the game. With one out, Pate hit a two-run home run to left field. 
 
 Inside the Box Score 
  • Sophomore hurler Jayme Eilers tossed a one-hit complete-game shutout and striking out six. She improves to 8-8 on the year. Eilers got a strikeout to end an inning three times in the game. 
  • Mercer only had five base runners the whole game: three on walks, one on an error, and one hit. 
  • Western Carolina scored all seven runs on four hits. 
  • Huneycutt and Pate were 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. 
 
News & Notes 
  • Western Carolina's 6-4 win over Mercer in game one halted a three-game losing streak to the Bears. The Catamounts swept the doubleheader against Mercer for the first time since taking two in Cullowhee in 2016.
  • Huneycutt extends her on-base streak to 19 consecutive games. McNeil pushed her on base-streak to 12. 
  • Western Carolina has won nine consecutive conference games and swept its third-straight SoCon doubleheader. 
  • Rice's 10th win of the season, in the circle, makes her the 12th Catamount pitcher in program history to reach 10 wins in a season. 
  • Huneycutt has 10 home runs on the season tying her for ninth in the WCU record books for home runs in a season. 
  • Eilers has 86 strikeouts on the season, ranking second in the conference. For her career, she has 114, which ranks 12th in the WCU record books. She needs two strikeouts to move into 11th place. 
  • Western Carolina's nine conference wins this season are the most since the 2016 club ended the season with nine. 
  • The Catamounts have 13 of their last 15 games. 
  • Western Carolina becomes the fifth team this season to shut out Mercer. 
  • The Bears lost their first home doubleheader this season. 
 
 Up Next 
Western Carolina concludes its three-game series at Mercer with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader Sunday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
 For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts and @catamountsb on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.
 
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