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Schedule

Full
Jim Clift vs Samford
Catamount Athletics Creative Media
14
Winner Samford SAM 21-14, 3-1 SoCon
0
Western Carolina WCU 18-16, 2-2 SoCon
Winner
Samford SAM
21-14, 3-1 SoCon
14
Final
0
Western Carolina WCU
18-16, 2-2 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Samford SAM 0 0 5 8 1 14 14 0
Western Carolina WCU 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

W: Jordyn Partain (9-8) L: Juett, Tessa (7-7)

14
Winner Samford SAM 22-14, 4-1 SoCon
4
Western Carolina WCU 18-17, 2-3 SoCon
Winner
Samford SAM
22-14, 4-1 SoCon
14
Final
4
Western Carolina WCU
18-17, 2-3 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Samford SAM 1 3 3 1 0 0 6 14 13 0
Western Carolina WCU 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 4 11 1

W: Olivia Treece (5-1) L: Fulton, Amanda (8-3)

Game Recap: Softball | | Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Bulldogs Blitz Catamounts in Doubleheader Sweep on Friday

Cullowhee, N.C. – Samford used the power of seven home runs over a pair of games to claim both ends of Friday's Southern Conference doubleheader 14-0 in five innings in game one before a 14-4 win in game two at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Freshman Courtney Marks and junior Rylee Butler both tallied three hits as junior Taylor Waitley, along with sophomores Maya McPherson and Lily Bell had a pair of base knocks, with McPherson and Waitley both with a double. Sophomore Becka Wonsick and junior Tate Stewman had a base knock as WCU hit .304 (14-for-46) on Friday.

Game One – Samford 14, Western Carolina 0 (5 Innings)
After a scoreless first two innings, the Bulldogs used the power of a five-run third followed by an eight-run fourth to create all the separation they would need to earn the 14-0 run-rule victory on Friday afternoon in the front end of a twin bill.

Freshman Courtney Marks, sophomore Becka Wonsick, and junior Rylee Butler got in the hit column as the Catamounts were held to just three hits. Senior Tessa Juett did grab her second steal of the season.

After Juett had worked a 1-2-3 first inning, the Catamounts got in the hit column first with a two-out laser from Butler to the Samford pitcher for a base hit, but the Bulldogs held the hosts off the scoreboard.

Juett worked her second inning on order on the day, and WCU got to work in the home half with a one-out single from Wonsick followed by a Juett walk. Even though the runners advanced to scoring position, the game remained scoreless after two.

In the third, Samford used the power of five hits, including a three-run and two-run shot, to seize control and take a 5-0 lead after 2.5 innings on the Catamounts.

The Bulldogs' offense carried over in the fourth, as the guests sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight times, including a three-run homer, an RBI double, and a two-run double to push the advantage to 13-0.

The Catamounts sent the minimum to the plate in the fourth and fifth, with the Bulldogs adding an RBI single in the fifth to claim the 14-0 run-rule victory in game one.

Juett (7-7) suffered the loss for WCU, going 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits and nine runs with three strikeouts. She became the third player in program history to eclipse 400 career strikeouts. AG Batson recorded a pair of outs in Friday's action while allowing seven hits and five runs. Makenzie Martin recorded the final two outs with a fly out and ground out.

Jordyn Partain (9-8) earned the win for Samford, going 4.0 innings and scattering three hits with a pair of walks. Karley Fuller recorded the final three outs in game one, including a strikeout, to secure Samford's win.

Game Two – Samford 14, Western Carolina 4
Riding the momentum from game one, the Bulldogs fired off the games first eight runs and withstood a charge from WCU in a six-run seventh inning to complete Friday's sweep with a 14-4 win in game two.

Freshman Courtney Marks (2-for-4), sophomore Lily Bell (2-for-3), junior Rylee Butler (2-for-4), sophomore Maya McPherson (2-for-4) and junior Taylor Waitley (2-for-3) accounted for 10 of the Catamounts hits with junior Tate Stewman adding a base knock in game two. Even though she didn't record a hit, senior Tessa Juett recorded two walks and a hit-by-pitch to reach base three times.

Samford (22-14, 4-1 SoCon) wasted no time in the opening frame with a sacrifice fly down the right field line to plate the contest's first run. The Bulldogs increased the advantage in the second with a three-run homer before a three-run shot in the third saw
the lead swelled to seven.

The Bulldogs added a solo blast in the fourth that saw the lead push to 8-0.

WCU had chances in the first with loaded bases on three infield singles, but a double play ball snuffed out the threat, and a line-drive double play in the third before the fifth inning got the Catamounts offense rolling.

In the fifth, after a Juett walk and an infield single from Waitley, Stewman's single to left got WCU on the scoreboard at 8-1. Bell reloaded the bases on a bunt single, and after a fielder's choice, Butler lined a single back up the middle, followed by an infield single from McPherson to cut the deficit to 8-3 after five.

After reliever Makenzie Martin worked around a one-out single without trouble in the sixth, a Juett walk followed by a Waitley double had WCU cooking in the sixth. Stewman drew a four-pitch walk before a sacrifice bunt from Bell scored Juett to make it 8-4.

Samford answered the four unanswered from WCU in the seventh with a six-run frame capped by a grand slam that allowed the Bulldogs lead to jump to 10, 14-4, and ultimately complete the Friday sweep of the Catamounts.

Amanda Fulton (8-3) suffered the loss, going 3.0 innings, allowing six hits, and giving up eight runs, with seven being earned. Martin finished game two off, going 4.0 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs with a pair of strikeouts.

Olivia Treece (5-1) grabbed the win, going five innings as she allowed nine hits and three runs. Karley Fuller returned to the circle and pitched an inning, giving up one hit and a run. Olivia Trout closed out the game for Samford with two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh.

Western Carolina (18-17, 2-3 SoCon) is back in action on Saturday afternoon for the series finale against Samford. The finale with the Bulldogs is slated for 1 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live stats will be available online at 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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