Cullowhee, N.C. – Tate Stewman and Kayden Lyda combined for fourth-inning home runs to lift Western Carolina to a 3-1 advantage over UNC Greensboro through four complete in Sunday's series finale on Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex. However, the preseason favorite Spartans surged ahead in a decisive fifth inning on the strength of a grand-slam home run before tacking on four insurance runs in the seventh to complete the three-game Southern Conference sweep with a 10-4 win.
Lyda (2-for-4) collected two of WCU's four base hits with a single and her fourth-inning, two-run home run, while Stewman (1-for-3) and junior Maya McPherson (1-for-3) belted solo homers to account for the team's offense. McPherson tallied her team-high 13th big fly, while Stewman is up to 10 homers, and Lyda hit her third of the campaign and second in conference play.
All told, WCU's offense was held in check throughout the weekend series against the league's best pitching staff. The Catamounts mustered just a .221 (19-of-86) average over the three-game set with three doubles, a triple, and five home runs.
Both teams had traffic on the basepaths over the opening two frames, though neither side could find the timely hit. Lyda started a 6-4-3 double play to erase a pair of UNCG singles in the second.
UNCG (25-12, 6-0 SoCon) broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a leadoff walk and a single to get the Spartans going. Macy Michael rolled a bunt in front of the plate where WCU tried to get the putout on the runner out at home, but were unsuccessful, and gave the guests a 1-0 lead on the run-scoring fielder's choice.
The Spartan lead held until the fourth inning when the Catamounts got going. Stewman opened the frame with a 2-1 pitch lined over the right field fence to even the score at one. Becka Wonsick then worked a walk before Lyda drilled a ball deep to centerfield with one out to give the hosts a 3-1 advantage, their first lead of the series. UNCG's game one winner, Brooklyn Shroyer, entered the circle in the fourth inning and surrendered the two-run homer, but tallied three strikeouts to get her squad back to the plate.
UNCG managed its best offensive inning of the game in the fifth as the Spartans quickly loaded the bases before a Laney Deane RBI single started the scoring. Rylie Williams connected on a deep drive to left field for a grand slam home run in the inning to flip the scoreboard, 6-3.
WCU answered in the home half of the fifth, though, as McPherson connected on her 13th homer of the season on a two-out shot to inch closer to the Spartans at 6-4 after five innings.
However, the Spartans sealed the win with a four-run seventh, starting with back-to-back solo home runs by Hadley Gardner and Avery Bouquin. Nya South capped scoring with a two-run double, putting the game and the series out of reach at 10-4.
Freshman Briony Bunsic (1-1) suffered the loss, tossing 6.1 innings over a pair of trips to the circle. She allowed nine runs – eight earned – on 10 hits and a pair of strikeouts. Amanda Fulton faced four batters and recorded a pair of outs with a run on two hits and a strikeout.
Nadia Andarowski started the contest for UNCG but didn't factor into the decision, lasting three innings and allowing two runs on two hits with four strikeouts. Brooklyn Shroyer (13-4) finished the game for the Spartans, going the final four innings and allowing two runs on a pair of hits, while striking out three.
WCU (21-12, 3-3 SoCon) begins a four-game road swing on Tuesday, March 31, with a trip to the Queen City for just the second road trip of the month as the Catamounts battle the Charlotte 49ers. The two teams are set to play a single game from Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium at 5 p.m. in a game slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
Fans can follow WCU softball on Facebook, Twitter (@CatamountSB), Instagram, and CatamountSports.com.
