CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Following a home sweep of mountain rival ETSU last weekend, the Western Carolina softball team closes out the home portion of the 2023 season on Thursday as the Catamounts host NC Central in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at the Catamount Softball Complex. Thursday's home finale is presented by Catamount Peak Apartments.
 
Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with free live stats available via a link on CatamountSports.com.
 
WCU is 19-20 overall and 8-7 in SoCon play after last weekend's sweep of the Buccaneers. The Catamounts have won six of its last seven games overall including taking two of three at Mercer on April 22-23 and a midweek rout of Appalachian State on April 18.
 
In WCU's doubleheader sweep on Saturday, senior Brooklynn Brewington stole six bases including a WCU single-game record four in game one of the twin bill to set the WCU career mark of 52. Tessa Juett earned the win in both of Saturday's games, allowing one run on three hits in a complete game performance in the first game and pitching two scoreless relief innings in the second. The Catamounts closed out the series sweep with an 8-0 triumph on Sunday as senior Samantha Reele drove in three runs and classmate Jayme Eilers limited ETSU to just one hit in the circle.
 
NC Central is 14-31 overall and 12-7 in MEAC contests after dropping a pair of games against Morgan State last weekend. The Eagles earned a 5-4, nine-inning win over SoCon foe Furman on March 3 and split a doubleheader at NC State on March 8. The Eagles enter the week in third in the MEAC softball standings and boast three of the top 11 batting averages in the league paced by Makiya Graves with a .390 average (57-of-146) that ranks second overall.
 
The Catamounts and Eagles have played nine previous times with WCU holding a 6-3 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 2010. The teams split a doubleheader last season. WCU won the only other series meetings held in Cullowhee, sweeping a doubleheader in 2018.
 
WCU closes out the season with a crucial series at conference-leading UNCG beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. followed by a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games of the series will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
 
For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts and @catamountsb on Twitter or go to www.CatamountSports.com.