Boiling Springs, N.C. – Western Carolina softball split its nonconference doubleheader at Gardner-Webb on Tuesday, dropping the opener 10-7 before rapping out a season-high 17 hits in a 13-7 game two victory at the Brinkley Softball Complex.
Tuesday's action saw a combined 37 runs scored on 45 total hits, 14 of which went for extra bases.
Senior Tate Stewman, along with juniors Becka Wonsick, Maya McPherson, and Sydney Dirks, led the Catamounts with four hits over the twin bill, including a 4-for-5 showing in game two from McPherson to earn her team-high seventh multi-hit game of the season.
Dirks hit a grand slam, joined by McPherson and Wonsick with homers on Tuesday. Dirks\ continued her fast offensive start to 2026 with two more extra base hits, now with a team-high five homers and 23 RBIs.
Senior Taylor Waitley picked up three hits and a pair of runs, while freshman Autumn Russell and junior Lily Bell also got into the hit column in the midweek action.
Game One – Gardner-Webb 10, Western Carolina 7
After trading seven run outbursts over the opening two innings, it was a single run in the fourth and a two-run shot in the sixth by the Runnin' Bulldogs that propelled Gardner-Webb to the 10-7 win in game one.
WCU was limited to just five hits in the front end of the doubleheader, led by Sydney Dirks with her fifth homer of the season, with a grand slam. Taylor Waitley, Becka Wonsick, Tate Stewman, and Autumn Russell added hits with Stewman legging out a two-bagger.
The Catamounts used a Gardner-Webb error and a run-scoring single to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, only to see the Runnin' Bulldogs answer with a two-run single and an RBI double to flip the scoreboard in their favor, 3-2.
The offense continued in the second as the Catamounts loaded the bases with a leadoff double by Stewman, a walk to Courtney Marks, and a fielder's choice for Lily Bell. Waitley delivered an RBI single before Dirks cleared the bases with her grand slam homer to make it 7-3 in favor of the Catamounts.
GWU responded with an RBI single before back-to-back doubles, the second netting two runs, before capping a four-run frame to even the contest at seven.
In the home half of the fourth, Gardner-Webb added a run off a sacrifice fly to take an 8-7 lead, tacking on a pair of insurance markers in the sixth on a two-out two-run homer to push the lead to three.
WCU managed to get a pair of runners on base, but could not cut into the deficit as the Runnin' Bulldogs earned the 10-7 game-one win.
Briony Bunsic tossed a pair of innings in the start, allowing seven runs on eight hits, with six runs credited as earned. Amanda Fulton (3-2) suffered the defeat, pitching the final four innings, allowing just three hits and three runs with a strikeout.
Alli Stidham began the game for Gardner-Webb and went 2.0 innings, scattering three hits and allowing seven runs, with six of those runs as earned. Hannah Frye (3-5) tossed five shutout innings for the Runnin' Bulldogs, striking out two and allowing two hits.
Game Two – Western Carolina 13, Gardner-Webb 7
Western Carolina scored six runs in the4 second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Maya McPherson, and added multi-run innings in the fourth and sixth to create the needed separation to down Gardner-Webb 13-7 and split Tuesday's doubleheader.
The Catamounts tallied a season-high 17 hits, led by a career-high-tying four-hit game from McPherson, which included clubbing her third homer of the season. Tate Stewman, Sydney Dirks, and Becka Wonsick each tallied three hits. Wonsick posted a double and a homer, making her first starts of the season on Tuesday. Taylor Waitley picked up a pair of hits, while Lily Bell and Courtney Marks each had one in the win.
Gardner-Webb struck first with a fielder's choice and took advantage of a pair of WCU fielding miscues to take the 1-0 lead.
Western Carolina (8-3) answered, though, in the second inning with Marks leading off with a single before advancing on a wild pitch. Stewman walked ahead of Autumn Russell, who advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. A throwing error allowed Briony Bunsic to reach and score both Stewman and Marks. Taylor Waitley continued the frame with an RBI single before McPherson capped the frame with a three-run blast to give WCU a 6-1 lead.
The Catamounts added to their advantage in the fourth with three straight two-out RBI knocks as Dirks had an RBI single before McPherson and Becka Wonsick both doubled to push the lead to eight, 9-1.
Gardner-Webb (10-6) responded in the fourth with a five-run frame that included a pair of RBI doubles to cut the Catamounts' lead to three, 9-6 after four complete. The Runnin' Bulldogs added a run in the home half of the fifth before WCU created separation at the top of the sixth inning.
Waitley singled and stole second before Dirks lined a double down the left field line. After the hosts claimed an out, Wonsick connected on a two-run shot to left center to push the lead to five. A fielder's choice allowed a fourth run to score and gave WCU a 13-7 lead.
Behind AG Batson and Amanda Fulton in the circle over the final two frames, the Catamounts maintained their six-run advantage and pulled out the 13-7 win to earn the split.
Riley Pennington (2-0) earned the win in the starting role, going 3.1 innings and scattering seven hits and allowing six runs, five earned. Batson tossed 2.2 innings of relief as she scattered five hits with just one run allowed, and Fulton tossed a scoreless seventh with a pair of strikeouts to secure the win.
Glenna McLamb (4-1) suffered the defeat for Gardner-Webb, allowing 10 hits and nine runs, with only four of those being earned and three strikeouts. Fyre, who earned the game one win, returned and allowed three earned runs in 1.1 innings of work. Anna Hornbaker finished the midweek action for the Runnin' Bulldogs with 1.2 innings of relief work, allowing three hits and one run with a pair of strikeouts.
The Catamounts head to Nashville, Tenn., for the Purple & Gold Classic, hosted by Lipscomb. WCU is set to play Southern Illinois and the host Bisons in a pair of matchups while taking on Power Four opposition, Purdue. The Saturday afternoon action with Lipscomb in the Music City is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), while all five games will have live stats available through links on CatamountSports.com.
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