Cullowhee, N.C. – Wofford used a three-run homer in the fourth and added on insurance runs in the seventh inning to complete the three-game Southern Conference sweep of Western Carolina softball on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Sophomore Sydney Dirks and junior Rylee Butler both tallied infield hits in the defeat as sophomore Lily Bell, senior Tessa Juett, and Dirks each drew a walk, with freshman Courtney Marks reaching twice on a pair of free passes.
Wofford (27-15, 8-4 SoCon) got the bats going early with a pair of two-out singles, but a flyout to right field thwarted the threat and kept the game scoreless in the first inning. Bell drew a four-pitch walk in the home half and swiped second, but three straight outs kept the game at 0-0 after one.
Both teams threatened in the second with a single and a base knock by the Terriers in the third, but both pitchers kept the scoreboard clean through the opening three innings.
Wofford picked up a one-out single, followed by a two-out base knock in the fourth inning, to put aboard ahead of a three-run home run to left field, which gave the Terriers a 3-0 lead through four complete.
Western Carolina (20-23, 4-8 SoCon) put together a solid threat in the fifth with Juett and Dirks both drawing walks to begin the frame. However, three-straight outs erased the chance for the Catamounts to get on the scoreboard.
The Catamounts again put together a threat in the sixth with a Marks walk along with a Butler single, but back-to-back outs sent the opener to the seventh at 3-0.
Wofford added on in the seventh with a solo homer to begin the frame before a trio of RBI singles pushed the deficit to seven for WCU. The Terriers finished off the afternoon with a 1-2-3 frame to secure the series sweep.
Juett (8-11) suffered the loss after going 6.0 innings and allowing seven runs on 15 hits with four strikeouts. Freshman Amanda Fulton pitched the final frame of the weekend, allowing a pair of hits and a walk in the seventh against the Terriers.
Natalya Salo (6-4) earned the win for Wofford, going the full seven innings, allowing a pair of hits and totaling eight strikeouts as she scattered five walks in the victory.
The Catamounts open a five-game road swing beginning on Tuesday, April 15, with a doubleheader against Big South foe USC Upstate. The Catamounts and Spartans begin the doubleheader at 3 p.m. from Cyrill Softball Stadium on USC Upstate's campus.
Both games are slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats provided at CatamountSports.com.
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