Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina softball opened its home-heavy March slate on Friday by splitting the opening day of the Catamount Classic, winning its opener 4-2 over Penn before dropping an 18-10 slugfest against Robert Morris in the nightcap at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Junior Maya McPherson powered the Catamounts with four hits (.571), including a triple and a home run, and collected a team-high four RBIs. Sophomore Courtney Marks (.500) and junior Lily Bell (.429) both added three hits, with Bell notching a double.

Junior Becka Wonsick, senior Tate Stewman, junior Sydney Dirks, and freshman Briony Bunsic each had a pair of hits on Friday, with Wonsick and Stewman each going deep as Bunsic and Dirks recorded doubles.

Sophomore Amanda Fulton led the Catamounts in the circle on Friday, tossing a complete game against Penn with six strikeouts and just two runs allowed to earn her fifth win of the season.

Game One – Western Carolina 4, Penn 2
Western Carolina used a pair of two-run innings in the early going and got strong pitching by Amanda Fulton to earn its event-opening 4-2 win at the home Catamount Classic.

Lily Bell, Tate Stewman, and Maya McPherson each led the way for WCU's offense with two hits apiece as Bell tallied a double, and Stewman went deep in the victory. Becka Wonsick and Courtney Marks rounded out the eight-hit game for the hosts.

After the start was delayed 40 minutes by lightning on Friday, the Catamounts opened with a quick 1-2-3 inning by Amanda Fulton, igniting their offense.

Bell doubled to open the home half of the frame on the first pitch of her at-bat before McPherson deposited a two-out RBI single into the outfield grass to make it 1-0. Following a Wonsick single that put runners on the corners, McPherson and Wonsick used nifty baserunning work on a double steal to double the score, 2-0, after one.

Neither offense got going in the second or third innings before a second lengthy delay halted play.

Fulton continued her dominance with another 1-2-3 fourth inning. In the bottom half, Wonsick drew a leadoff walk before Stewman launched a two-run homer off a 2-2 pitch, pushing WCU's lead to 4-0.

Penn broke through on the scoreboard in the sixth with a one-out solo homer to centerfield to cut the deficit to three, as a strikeout and a popout from Fulton limited the damage.

The guests tallied one more run in the seventh inning with a two-out RBI single, but were unable to get it any closer as the Catamounts earned the 4-2 decision in the opener.

Fulton (5-3) went the distance for Western Carolina, scattering six hits and a pair of runs with six strikeouts. She pushed her seasonal strikeout total to a team-best 60 as she tossed her fifth complete game of the season.

Ainsley Pemberton (2-2) dropped the decision for Penn as she went 4.0 innings, allowing six hits and four runs with a strikeout. Kelly Zybura pitched the final two shutout frames as she gave up two hits with a strikeout.

Game Two – Robert Morris 18, Western Carolina 10 (6 Innings)
Offenses erupted in the middle innings in the nightcap of the opening day at the Catamount Classic as Robert Morris used a three-run fifth and a five-run sixth to pull away for the 18-10 run-rule victory in a slugfest at the Catamount Softball Complex.
 
Sydney Dirks, Maya McPherson, Courtney Marks, and Briony Bunsic each had a pair of hits to pace WCU in the contests, as Dirks had a double with McPherson recording a triple and a homer. Becka Wonsick also went deep in Friday night's defeat.

WCU's bats came alive in the bottom of the second inning as McPherson led off with a solo home run. Bunsic lined her first collegiate double to the right-center field gap to score two more runs, followed by a two-run single from Lily Bell. Dirks joined in the offense with an RBI single before a Colonials error allowed one more run to scamper home and make it 6-0.

Robert Morris answered the offense from the second with a six-run frame of its own in the top of the third to quickly even the score at six apiece. Bunsic pushed WCU back in front in the bottom of the third inning with a two-out RBI single that scored Marks and gave WCU the 7-6 advantage.

In the fourth, Robert Morris seized momentum with an RBI double, followed by a three-run homer that gave the Colonials a 10-7 lead after four innings.

The Catamounts continued to answer RMU's offense with a two-out RBI triple from McPherson before a two-run homer from Wonsick to again even the score, this time at 10.

Robert Morris reclaimed the lead for good in the fifth with a two-out, three-run homer, then added five more runs in the sixth to secure the 18-10 victory.

AG Batson started for WCU but didn't factor into the decision, going 3.0 innings, scattering six hits and six runs with three strikeouts. Riley Pennington (2-3) suffered the defeat, allowing six hits and seven runs in her relief outing. Bunsic entered the circle on Friday night as she recorded a pair of outs, while allowing five runs and three hits. Amari Burce recorded the final out for WCU.

Madelyn Coleman made the start for Robert Morris, allowing 10 hits and 10 runs with nine of those being earned, but didn't factor into the decision. Madison Brown (1-0) pitched the final 2.1 shutout innings for RMU to help lead the guests to the victory.

The Catamounts continue with the second day of the Catamount Classic on Saturday. WCU is set to battle Ohio at 3 p.m., followed by a rematch against Robert Morris at 5:30 p.m. Both games are slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), and live stats will be available via links on CatamountSports.com.

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