CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Western Carolina softball team split a nonconference doubleheader with NC Central on Thursday taking the first game 9-2 before a 7-5 setback in the nightcap.
WCU is 20-21 overall while NC Central is 15-32.
Game 1: Western Carolina 9, NC Central 2
Bailey Huneycutt and
Taylor Norton combined to drive in six runs - three apiece - with Norton striking out a career-best eight batters with a complete game performance in the pitching circle to lead the Catamounts to the game one win.
The first two innings saw three combined baserunners before NC Central loaded the bases in the third inning with a trio of singles. However, Norton got out of the jam with a flyout.
WCU then plated five runs in the home half of the third to take control of the contest.
Bethany Dobias led off the inning with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a
Natalie Henry single, and scored on a Huneycutt double. Henry scored on a
Myra Twitty base hit with Huneycutt crossing the plate on a bunt single by
Mattie Mentel. Norton helped her cause with a double that plated Twitty and Mentel for a 5-0 advantage through three.
Huneycutt gave the Catamounts a 7-0 lead in the fourth with a two-run home run before Norton followed two batters later with an RBI single to make the score 8-0 in favor of the Catamounts.
NC Central kept the game alive with two runs in the fifth, one coming on a Makiya Graves solo home run and the other thanks to a Jaylah Barr single.
Later in the inning,
Brooklynn Brewington reached on a two out single and came around to score on an error for the final run of the game.
Huneycutt finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Norton was 2-for-4 with a single, double, and three RBI. Brewington finished 2-for-3 with two singles and two runs scored. Henry was 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored. Mentel was 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI. Twitty tallied a single and an RBI with
Savannah Baldwin completing a 1-for-3 game with a single.
Norton went the distance in the circle, giving up two runs, one earned, on eight hits with a career-best eight punchouts in 7.0 innings. The Chesterfield, Va. native didn't walk a batter.
Graves was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Takia Nichols went 2-for-4 with a single and double. Barr went 1-for-3 with a single.
Ashanti Eubanks (6-15) was tagged with the loss, allowing nine runs, six earned, on 13 hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
Game 2: NC Central 7, Western Carolina 5
The Eagles jumped out to an early 6-2 lead and held off a late WCU comeback to earn the split in the doubleheader.
After a scoreless first inning, Takia Nichols led off the second inning with a solo home run. Following a pair of singles by Jaylah Barr and Jaden Davis along with a strikeout, Ivory Jones hit a two-run home run with one out for a 4-0 NC Central lead.
The Catamounts got a run back in the bottom half of the inning.
Savannah Baldwin doubled and scored thanks to an NC Central error.
NC Central added two runs in the third thanks to singles by Nichols and Davis. WCU trimmed the deficit to 6-2 as a run scored on a wild pitch.
WCU used a three-run fifth inning to cut its deficit to one run.
Taylor Waitley laced her first collegiate hit, a one-out double with
Brooklynn Brewington reaching on an error. Waitley and Brewington scored on a
Natalie Henry double, with a passed ball advancing Henry to third before scoring on a
Bailey Huneycutt single. The Eagles were able to get out of the inning without any additional damage thanks to a double play, preserving the one-run lead.
The Catamounts threatened in the sixth, but a fielder's choice and a groundout stranded a pair of baserunners.
Jaidyn Hamby led off the NC Central seventh with a single, advanced to second on an error, and reached third on a sacrifice bunt. Morgan Green brought home Hamby with an infield single for the game's final run. WCU had runners at the corners with two outs and the winning run at the plate, but a groundout ended the game.
Henry led the Catamounts offensively, going 2-for-4 with a single and double along with two RBI. Huneycutt was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Baldwin and Waitley each finished 1-for-3 with a double. Brewington and
Myra Twitty both reached base with singles.
Makenzie Martin (2-4) was charged with the loss, allowing four runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings.
Tessa Juett pitched 5.2 innings in relief, giving up three runs, two earned, on nine hits with six strikeouts.
Jones led the Eagles offensively, going 2-for-3 with a single and a home run. Nichols was 2-for-4 with a single and a home run. Hamby, Barr, Davis, and Jai'lyn Edwards each finished with two hits. Davis (8-13) was the winning pitcher, allowing five runs but one earned on eight hits. The Eagles committed five errors in the contest.
WCU closes out the schedule with a crucial series at 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.
