Charlotte, N.C. – Western Carolina softball split a nonconference doubleheader at Queens University of Charlotte on Wednesday, falling 9-1 in a run-ruled, five-inning defeat in the opener before returning the favor with an 11-3 victory in six innings in game two at The Stick Williams Dream Fields.

Seniors Tate Stewman and Taylor Waitley led the way in the doubleheader with three hits apiece, as Stewman clubbed her fourth home run of the season in the first inning of game two. Junior Lily Bell and freshman Sydnee Bumgarner both collected two hits, with Bumgarner totaling three RBIs in her second career start in the second game.

Sophomore Courtney Marks, junior Sydney Dirks, along with freshman Kayden Lyda and Emma Kindle, each had hits with Lyda totaling a team-best three RBIs in game two.

Sophomore AG Batson claimed her seventh win of the season, while classmate Amanda Fulton pitched the final 2.1 scoreless frames to earn her first save of the season.

Game One – Queens 9, Western Carolina 1
Holding a 4-1 lead, Queens unleashed a five-run fourth inning to create enough separation and secure the run-rule win, 9-1, in game one on Wednesday afternoon.

WCU was held to just five hits, led by Lily Bell, who tallied two hits and drew a walk. The remaining three hits were spread between Taylor Waitley, Courtney Marks, and Tate Stewman.

Bell stole second after leading off the game with a single, scoring as Maya McPherson reached on a Royals error for the 1-0 lead. Queens responded, though, in the home half of the frame with an RBI single before the hosts took advantage of a WCU miscue to plate a pair of runs and make it 3-1 after one complete.

The Royals extended the lead in the second as a two-out triple set up an RBI single that pushed the advantage to 4-1 through two.

WCU looked to answer in the third as one-out singles from Bell and Waitley were followed by a two-out HBP to McPherson to load the bases. However, the hosts snuffed out the threat with a flyout to leave the bases filled and the deficit at three.

The Catamounts again responded with a pair of singles coupled with a walk by Bell, but the Royals answered once again with a strikeout.

Queens loaded the bases in the fourth with a pair of walks and a single before sending a grand slam over the centerfield wall, followed by a solo shot to right center to make it 9-1. Needing a marker to extend the game, WCU went in order in the fifth as the Royals secured the eight-run victory in game one.

Riley Pennington (2-4) suffered the loss for WCU, allowing eight hits and nine runs with seven of those earned in her four innings of work.

Addison Kluck (4-4) earned the win for Queens. She pitched five innings, allowing five hits, one unearned run, and striking out six.

Game Two – Western Carolina 11, Queens 3 (6 Innings)
Western Carolina erupted for a five-run first inning that included a three-run Tate Stewman home run, before closing with six runs between the fifth and sixth innings to earn the doubleheader split with an 11-3 run-ruled victory in six innings. The Catamounts took advantage of six Royals miscues in the win.

Stewman, Taylor Waitley, and Sydnee Bumgarner each had a pair of hits to lead the squad, with Stewman connecting on her fourth homer of the season. Bumgarner connected on her first two collegiate base hits in the start, while also driving in a pair of runs. Kayden Lyda scored three runs and drew a pair of walks as Emma Kindle, Sydney Dirks, and Lyda each had a base knock.

Lily Bell walked to start the five-run rally in the first inning, scoring on the first Royals error that allowed Taylor Waitley to reach. Maya McPherson lifted a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 2-0 before Stewman capped the offense with a three-run blast over the left field wall to make it 5-0.

The Catamounts carried the five-run cushion through the first three innings, as AG Batson maneuvered around first-inning traffic before collecting consecutive 1-2-3 frames.

Queens (6-14) got on the board in the fourth as a leadoff triple was cashed in with a sacrifice fly. The Royals added an RBI single and an RBI double to cut the deficit to two, 5-3, after four. Amanda Fulton entered with two outs in the frame and induced a groundout to erase the threat.

Lyda opened the visitor half of the fifth with a single and eventually advanced to third by a ground out and a Stewman single. Bumgarner lined a run-scoring single through the right side to extend the lead back to three, 6-3. Emma Kindle reached on a fielder's choice that scored pinch-runner Ava Giglio as WCU got the lead back to four, 7-3.

After keeping the hosts off the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, WCU put the game away with a four-spot in the top of the sixth inning. Waitley and Dirks singled with an error pushing both runners into scoring position. Lyda loaded the bases with a walk, with a fielder's choice for Marks pushing home the first run. Stewman reached on a third miscue, before a sacrifice fly from Bumgarner plated a third run. The offense was capped when Marks scampered home on a wild pitch.

Fulton allowed a pair of two-out singles but a pair of outs to Dirks in left, and a strikeout helped WCU secure its fifth run-rule victory of the 2026 season.

Batson (7-0) earned the win for WCU, going 3.2 innings, scattering six hits and allowing three runs with a strikeout. Fulton (1) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, scattering four hits in earning her second career save.

Addison Kluck (4-5) made her second start of the day for Queens, going just one inning and allowing two hits and five runs, as four of those were earned. Lindsey Henson pitched one relief inning and gave up two hits and four unearned runs. Kooper Barnes threw the final four frames for Queens, allowing five hits and a pair of runs.

WCU opens an 11-game homestand, beginning Tuesday, March 17, with a visit from nationally ranked Clemson to Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.

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