Charlotte, N.C. – Maya McPherson gave Western Carolina the early 2-0 lead with her 14th home run of the season after just half an inning in nonconference play on Tuesday at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium. However, the Charlotte surged ahead in the second inning with a six-run frame on the power of a bases-clearing triple before tacking on five insurance runs in the fifth to earn the 11-3 run-rule victory over the Catamounts.
Junior Lily Bell (2-for-3) collected two of WCU's four base hits with a pair of singles to go along with two runs scored, becoming the program's record holder for runs scored in a career with 124. Her second run in the third inning pushed her past Bailey Huneycutt (2019-23) for the top spot in career runs scored. Bell has a team-best 36 runs in 2026.
McPherson's 14th home run, along with senior Taylor Waitley's single, rounded out the four hits for WCU. Junior Sydney Dirks added a sacrifice fly to pick up her 41st RBI of the season.
Before Tuesday's first pitch, Sydney Dirks and her older sister, London, participated in a ceremonial first pitch in which London threw it to Sydney.
Western Carolina (21-13) opened fast with a leadoff single from Bell, where she was scored from third by McPherson, who lined a two-run shot off the left field foul pole to give the Catamounts a 2-0 lead. Charlotte looked to answer with a pair of one-out singles from Dirks and Jenna Lord before McPherson turned a 5-3 double-play ball to keep the advantage at two.
In the home half of the second inning, the 49ers worked the bases loaded with a pair of walks and a single before Savanna Nguyen cleared the bases with a triple to push the hosts in front by one, 3-2. Jaylah Jerrell added a bunt single before a sacrifice fly from Lord, and an RBI single from Audrey Wilson saw Charlotte's lead swell to four, 6-2 after two.
The Catamounts answered in the third as Dirks delivered a deep fly to center field to score Bell, who reached on a one-out single to make it 6-3 Charlotte.
Offenses struggled over the third and the fourth innings, but the 49ers loaded the bases before a two-out flyout induced by reliever in freshman Briony Bunsic kept it a three-run game.
In the fifth, though, Charlotte again quickly loaded the bases with its first three batters reaching before the 49ers' Dirks grabbed a run on a sacrifice fly. Lord then delivered a run-scoring single that made it 8-3. Tuesday's action was capped by a three-run blast from Wilson to give the hosts an 11-3 midweek triumph.
Sophomore AG Batson (8-3) suffered the loss, tossing 1.0 innings. She allowed six runs on six hits with a pair of walks. Bunsic pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with three walks before the Charlotte victory.
Brooke Bowling (8-5) earned the win, pitching three innings and allowing four hits and three runs with a pair of strikeouts. Taylor Jones tossed the final two innings for the 49ers, with two shutout frames and a pair of strikeouts.
WCU continues its four-game road swing on Friday, April 3, with a trip to Johnson City, Tenn., for a holiday weekend SoCon series against East Tennessee State. The teams are set for a doubleheader on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. series finale on Saturday at Betty Basler Field. Live stats for all three games are available on CatamountSports.com.
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