GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Western Carolina Catamount softball team suffered a 6-0 setback in the third game of its series at UNCG on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
UNCG improves to 34-20 overall and 13-4 in Southern Conference games. WCU drops to 20-24 and 8-10.
 
In the first inning, UNCG loaded the bases after a pair of walks and an error, but pitcher Tessa Juett limited the Spartans to one run on a sacrifice fly.
 
With two outs in the WCU third inning, Bethany Dobias reached on a double before the inning ended on a groundout.
 
Jessie Shipley hit a three-run home run in the third inning to put the Spartans on top 4-0. Jaden Cheek led off the fourth inning with a solo home run. UNCG added a run on a WCU error in the fifth for a 6-0 lead.
 
Dobias went 1-for-3 with a double. Seniors Brooklynn Brewington and Natalie Henry both finished 1-for-3 with a single. Juett (8-11) took the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits with four walks and a strikeout in 4.1 innings. Taylor Norton allowed one unearned run on four hits with a walk and a strikeout in 2.2 innings of relief.
 
UNCG scattered eight hits among seven different players. Salem Ward (6-6) was the winning pitcher for UNCG.
 
Seeded fourth, the Catamounts open play in the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament on Wednesday at 10 a.m. against No. 5 seed Mercer. WCU took the series in Macon, Ga. on April 22-23 thanks to a Saturday doubleheader sweep.
 
For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts and @catamountsb on Twitter or go to www.CatamountSports.com.