Nashville, Tenn. – Western Carolina softball closed out a challenging Purple & Gold Classic on the wrong end of an 8-2 loss to Big Ten foe Purdue on Sunday at the Draper Diamond on the campus of Lipscomb University.
WCU's seven hits in the loss were spread between seven different players, each collecting one hit apiece. Sydney Dirks tallied her team-high-tying fifth double while also extending her reached-base safely streak to a team-best 11 games.
Courtney Marks led the squad for the weekend with a team-best .417 average, going 5-of-12, and Maya McPherson led the team with six hits, including a double. Dirks had a double and a homer in the Music City. Taylor Waitley, Becca Wonsick, and Dirks each had four hits in the five-game weekend. Sophomore Amanda Fulton recorded 20 strikeouts in the circle over 16 innings, spanning three outings.
Purdue (13-6) wasted no time in the opening half inning with a one-out single followed by an RBI triple to gain the early 1-0 lead. The Catamounts responded in the home half with a two-out rally, including a double from Dirks and a single from McPherson to set the stage for an RBI base knock from Wonsick to even the score at one.
In the second inning, the Catamounts took a 2-1 lead over the Boilermakers. Tate Stewman was plunked to open the frame before singles from Briony Bunsic and Lily Bell loaded the bases. Waitley reached on a fielder's choice that allowed a run to score to push WCU in front.
However, Purdue regained the lead in the third with a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout to plate a pair of runs and retake a one-run lead, 3-2.
Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the fourth with strikeouts involved on both sides in the inning before Purdue used a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning to push the lead to two, 4-2.
Western Carolina (10-6) looked to answer the Boilermakers' offense in the fifth with a single from Waitley and a walk from McPherson, before Wonsick reached on a HBP to load the bases. However, Purdue picked up back-to-back punchouts to end the threat.
In the sixth, Purdue added to its lead with a two-spot coming on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, then later scored twice in the seventh to provide the final tally.
AG Batson tossed 2.0 innings in the start, allowing three hits and one run, but didn't factor into Sunday's result. Riley Pennington (2-2) suffered the loss, pitching 2.0 innings and giving up two runs on two hits. Amanda Fulton finished the contest with 3.0 innings of work, scattering five runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits, and four strikeouts.
Brianna Fontenont began the game for the Boilermakers but didn't factor into the decision, tossing 1.2 innings and scattering five hits and a pair of runs allowed. Julia Gossett (5-3) threw the final 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 12 batters to earn the victory.
Western Carolina returns home to host the Catamount Classic, welcoming Penn, Robert Morris, and Ohio to Cullowhee for a three-day, 10-game tournament set to open on Friday, March 6. All four teams are slated to play five games over the three days at the Catamount Softball Complex.
All five of WCU's games are slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available for each game through links on CatamountSports.com. Tournament Central for Catamount Classic.
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