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vs. Mercer
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Softball Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Softball Exceeds Expectations in 2021

Catamounts have record-setting season

Western Carolina softball claimed a runner-up finish in both the regular season and Southern Conference Championship as the curtain fell on one of WCU softball's most successful seasons in the program's 15-year history as 2021 drew to a close in Greensboro, N.C.
 
Picked seventh in the preseason coaches' poll, the Catamounts far exceeded expectations finishing second and earning a No. 2 seed at the conference tournament. The second seed was the second-highest in program history just behind the inaugural 2006 club's No. 1 seed.
 
The Catamounts reeled off numerous record-setting marks on the season and it all began on Mar. 28 when the Catamounts won game two of a doubleheader with SoCon foe Chattanooga, 2-0. The victory spurred an 11-game winning streak, the longest in Catamount softball history that included conference series sweeps over both Samford and ETSU. The series victory over the Buccaneers was a first for the Catamounts in team history.
 
The following are notes and tidbits from the 2021 season:
  •  WCU was undefeated at home against SoCon opponents (9-0).
  • The Catamounts tallied the second-most home wins in program history with 17.
  • After being swept by Appalachian State in a doubleheader on Mar. 23, WCU won a school record 17-straight games at home.
  • The 12 SoCon wins are the second-most by the Catamounts since the program began in 2006. In the inaugural year, that team had 16 conference victories.
  • For the first since 2006 - and just the second time in program history - Western Carolina swept the three-game series againstHead Coach Jim Clift gives Bailey Huneycutt a high five. Furman to close out its season at home. 
  • Western Carolina reached the SoCon Tournament Championship game for the first time facing No. 1 seed UNCG.
  • The Catamounts defeated No. 3 seed Chattanooga (5-0) and No. 4 seed Mercer (4-1) for the first time in the conference tournament setting.
  • Western Carolina swept a total of eight doubleheaders in 2021.
  • The Catamounts swept prominent NCAA mid-major opponent USC Upstate for the first time in history 6-5 (8 innings) and 8-0 (6 innings) … WCU also run-ruled the Spartans for the first time.
  • Western Carolina also swept the home doubleheader on Mar. 30 against Radford, 5-4, 4-3 for the first time.
  • With Bailey Huneycutt's 2021 SoCon Player of the Year nod, the Catamounts earned its first prestigious player award in the team's 15 years in existence.
  • Head Coach Jim Clift earned his first SoCon Coach of the Year honor and second time for the program (Megan Smith, 2006). He picked up his 200th career victory with the Catamounts' 5-1 win over Furman to complete the series sweep of the Paladins.
  • WCU had the most players named to the post-season awards list: Huneycutt (Player of the Year, First Team All-SoCon), Jayme Eilers (First Team All-SoCon, SoCon All-Freshman), Kailey McNeil (First Team All-SoCon), Savannah Rice (SoCon All-Freshman) and Jeralynn Wells (SoCon All-Freshman).
  • The Catamounts also placed the most players on the SoCon All-Tournament team, and the most among the four teams who qualified for the tournament: Eilers, McNeil, Addie Pate and Myra Twitty.
  • Western Carolina's 27 wins in 2021 were the third-most in program history as the 2006 team had 41 and the 2016 club had 33.
  • The Catamounts had two pitchers with double-digit wins, Eilers with 14 and Rice with 11, for the third time in the program's history matching the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
 
vs. Mercer

 
 
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Players Mentioned

Jayme Eilers

#62 Jayme Eilers

P
5' 6"
Sophomore
R/R
Bailey Huneycutt

#35 Bailey Huneycutt

SS
5' 10"
Junior
R/R
Kailey McNeil

#17 Kailey McNeil

C
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Addie Pate

#4 Addie Pate

OF
5' 5"
Senior
R/R
Savannah Rice

#00 Savannah Rice

P
5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
Myra Twitty

#22 Myra Twitty

1B
5' 3"
Junior
R/R
Jeralynn Wells

#21 Jeralynn Wells

OF/UT
5' 6"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Jayme Eilers

#62 Jayme Eilers

5' 6"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Bailey Huneycutt

#35 Bailey Huneycutt

5' 10"
Junior
R/R
SS
Kailey McNeil

#17 Kailey McNeil

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
C
Addie Pate

#4 Addie Pate

5' 5"
Senior
R/R
OF
Savannah Rice

#00 Savannah Rice

5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Myra Twitty

#22 Myra Twitty

5' 3"
Junior
R/R
1B
Jeralynn Wells

#21 Jeralynn Wells

5' 6"
Freshman
R/R
OF/UT