Bell Claims Southern Conference Player of the Week

Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina sophomore Lily Bell was named the Southern Conference Softball Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. The Catamount second baseman had four multi-hit games and recorded hits in six of WCU's seven games as the squad went 5-2 on the week, including a pair of wins over Boston University and a victory over Winthrop.

The conference office selects and announces the weekly awards based on nominations submitted by the communications or media relations contacts from each member institution.

Bell claimed her first career SoCon Player of the Week honor. Maya McPherson and Bell's back-to-back honors mark the first since April 3 and 10, 2017, when Madison Armstrong and Hunter Gibbons went back-to-back with weekly awards.

WCU is the first team in the SoCon to garner multiple weekly player awards in 2025, as the honors through the first five weeks of the season have been earned by players from WCU, Chattanooga, Wofford, and Mercer.

A Woodstock, Ga. native, Bell posted one of her best collegiate weeks, finishing 11-for-21 (.524) with four doubles to bolster her .714 slugging percentage. She also boasted a .583 on-base percentage over the seven-game week, scoring five runs and stole a team-high seven bases.

Bell's week began with four hits over a midweek doubleheader against Presbyterian that included a pair of doubles with one plating a run in a 5-3 win against the Blue Hose. Bell swiped the first of her seven bases in the midweek win over PC.

She opened the Eagle Classic with her third double of the week during a tight 3-1 victory over four-time defending Patriot League Champions Boston University. In the nightcap on Friday, she converted a sacrifice and scored a run with a walk during a 4-1 win over the tournament host Winthrop.

Bell opened Saturday's doubleheader with a pair of base knocks and tied WCU's single-game program record for stolen bases with four as part of the 8-5 victory over Norfolk State. In the rematch with the Terriers, she added her fourth double of the week to accompany her fifth stolen bag of the day in a 7-1 win over Boston. She added another base hit with her seventh steal of the week in Sunday's tourney finale with host Winthrop.

Bell carries an 18-game reached base streak into Tuesday's doubleheader against North Carolina Central that opens a 13-game homestand. She's recorded hits in 17 games including 11 multi-hit games. She also has reached base in 21 of 22 games for WCU to begin the 2025 campaign.

Bell finished in a three-way tie for the top spot in the nation last week with her seven stolen bases and was tied for second in the NCAA for hits with 11. Bell currently leads the SoCon in base hits (32) and stolen bases (14), while ranking second in batting average. (.478) and is second in on-base percentage (.550).

Western Carolina (12-11) returns home Tuesday, March 11, with a doubleheader against NC Central at the Catamount Softball Complex with a 2 p.m. start and game two to follow at 4 p.m. Both games will have live stats available on CatamountSports.com.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount softball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsb), or go to www.CatamountSports.com.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Lily Bell: INF; 5' 4"; Sophomore; L/R

#66 Maya McPherson: INF; 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#3 Lily Bell
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; L/R
: INF

#66 Maya McPherson
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

Schedule

Players Mentioned

#3 Lily Bell

#66 Maya McPherson

Players Mentioned

#3 Lily Bell

#66 Maya McPherson