Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina softball opened its season at home for the first time in program history on Wednesday, and didn't disappoint. The Catamounts swept both ends of a nonconference doubleheader against North Carolina A&T, winning 12-4 and 16-2 in a run-ruled victory at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Junior Lily Bell tallied five hits over the two games, including her third career four-hit effort to lead the Catamounts. The junior scored six runs and posted three stolen bases. Classmates Maya McPherson and Sydney Dirks both picked up four hits in the wins, with Dirks tallying the first of three WCU homers on the day with six RBI. Senior Tate Stewman and sophomore AG Batson each had three hits, with Stewman hitting a big fly and knocking in six runs, while Batson added two doubles and four RBIs.
In the circle for WCU, sophomore Amanda Fulton struck out eight in four innings without allowing an earned run to pick up the victory. Batson followed in game two with four shutout innings in the circle to finish off the sweep. Senior Riley Pennington and freshman Briony Bunsic both tossed the fifth and final frame of the respective contests to help secure the victory.
Bunsic, along with her freshman classmates Kayden Lyda, Kimber Shambley, Autumn Russell, Sydnee Bumgarner, Amari Burce, and Emily Murphy, each made their Catamount debuts in Wednesday's twin bill as 20 Catamounts saw action throughout the afternoon.
Game One – Western Carolina 12, N.C. A&T 4
Western Carolina used multi-run innings in the first three frames, capped by a seven-run third to create the separation it needed as the Catamounts claimed a 12-4 season-opening win over the Aggies.
Lily Bell and Sydney Dirks paced the Catamounts as Bell matched her career-high with four base hits, followed by Dirks earning three with a double, a two-run homer, and a career-high six RBI. Maya McPherson had a pair of hits, while Kayden Lyda, Courtney Marks, Tate Stewman, and Taylor Waitley all joined the hit parade as WCU finished with 13 total hits in the opener.
The Catamounts wasted no time, as following a Bell single and a fielding error from the guests moved her to third base, WCU took advantage of a steal/error combination to score Bell before a Dirks RBI double pushed the lead to 2-0 after one inning.
In the second, Bell grabbed another base knock, and two batters later, the Catamounts saw their lead double as Dirks homered to make it 4-0 after two.
Sophomore Amanda Fulton settled into Wednesday's action as she faced one over the minimum in both the first two innings, with three strikeouts before the Aggies put together their best frame of the day.
N.C. A&T used an infield single before a three-run homer in the top half of the third evened the contest at 4.
WCU answered half an inning later, though, as Marks and Waitley added base hits to put runners on the corner before Bell's third hit of the afternoon forced a two-out run home. Lyda picked up an RBI single on the next pitch, followed quickly by Dirks adding a two-run single that saw the lead swell to four.
McPherson's infield single saw two on before the Catamount baserunning put pressure on the Aggies as a steal from both McPherson and Dirks followed by an error scored Dirks and made it 9-4. Marks with a bases-loaded walk followed by an RBI single from Stewman finished off a seven-run third inning and made it 11-4.
Fulton finished off her afternoon in the fourth with a pair of strikeouts before an RBI groundout scored Bell, who reached on her fourth single and swiped a pair of bases.
Senior Riley Pennington closed the contest out for WCU with a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless fifth to help the hosts secure the eight-run victory in game one.
Fulton (1-0) earned the win, allowing four hits and four unearned runs. The Woodstock, Ga., native tallied eight strikeouts in her seasonal debut. Pennington earned the final three outs for WCU with one hit and one walk and a pair of strikeouts over a scoreless fifth inning.
Aliyah Williams (1-1) suffered the loss, going 2.2 innings and allowing 10 hits and nine runs, with two of those being credited as earned. Over her two separate appearances, she tallied two strikeouts. Devin Long came on in relief and tossed 1.1 innings, allowing three hits, three runs, one earned, out of the Aggies' bullpen.
Game Two – Western Carolina 16, N.C. A&T 2
Western Carolina (2-0) kept its foot on the offensive pedal in game two with a five-run first and an eight-run fourth to help cap a 16-2 run-rule victory and complete an opening day doubleheader sweep of the visiting Aggies.
Sophomore AG Batson led the offensive attack in game two with three hits, including a pair of doubles and four RBIs, all marking new career-highs. Tate Stewman had a home run and a team-best five RBIs. Freshman Autumn Russell opened her collegiate career with a solo blast late in the win.
The Catamount bats stayed scorching hot in the opening frame as Batson connected on a two-run double to start the scoring. A second Aggie error in the first allowed her to score after a Marks groundball. Freshman Emily Murphy scampered home on a wild pitch, followed by a Stewman RBI single, which capped the opening inning scoring at 5-0.
Like her game one counterpart, Batson faced one over the minimum in the first two frames before depositing an RBI double to right field in the second inning to stretch the lead to six.
The hosts continued the scoring in the third with an infield single from freshman Kayden Lyda before junior Maya McPherson's RBI base knock pushed the lead to eight.
Scoring was capped in the fourth in a big way as the first two batters reached before Stewman deposited a three-run blast to centerfield. Then, just two pitches later, Russell made her mark on the game with a solo shot to right center. Run-scoring singles from Batson and freshman Kimber Shambley ahead of a sacrifice fly from Amari Burce, and a bases-loaded walk from Stewman capped the scoring at 16-0.
N.C. A&T (2-5) plated a pair of runs in the fifth on a wild pitch and an RBI single before the Catamounts finished off the 16-2 victory.
Batson (1-0) tossed four shutout innings on Wednesday, allowing two hits and tallying two strikeouts. Freshman Briony Bunsic made her debut in the circle, tossing the final frame, allowing three hits and two runs with her first career strikeout.
Lauren Hardy (1-1) opened the contest for the Aggies, tossing 3.0 innings and allowing 10 hits along with 11 runs, as six of those runs were earned and a strikeout. Maliyah Alexander recorded an out for the guests, allowing four hits and five runs before Aliyah Williams returned and got the final two outs.
The Catamounts head to Charleston for their first full weekend of action in the Low Country Classic, co-hosted by the College of Charleston and Charleston Southern. WCU plays five games against Penn, Akron, UConn, and the co-host Cougars. All five games will have live stats available through links on CatamountSports.com. Saturday night's showdown against the Cougars will also be shown on FloSports (paid subscription required).
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