Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Western Carolina University

Western Carolina
The Official Home of Catamount Athletics

Schedule

Full
AG Batson vs Ohio
Catamount Athletics Creative Media
1
Ohio OHIO 15-8
9
Winner Western Carolina WCU 12-7
Ohio OHIO
15-8
1
Final
9
Western Carolina WCU
12-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Ohio OHIO 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0
Western Carolina WCU 2 3 0 1 0 3 9 15 0

W: Batson, AG (5-0) L: Ally Meyers (4-3)

Game Recap: Softball | | Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Offense, Batson Carry Catamounts to Run-Rule Victory over Ohio

CULLOWHEE – Western Carolina softball continued its offensive outburst throughout the early part of the 2026 season with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Ohio in Saturday's action at the Catamount Classic. Saturday night's game against Robert Morris was canceled after rain forced the teams off the field in the first inning of a scoreless contest.

The Catamounts improved to 10-0 on the season when out-hitting their opponents, and also climbed to 10-3 when connecting on at least one homer. WCU moved to 8-2 when scoring six or more runs on the season and is now 7-2 when scoring in the opening frame.

Western Carolina (12-7) also tallied its 10th double-digit hit output against the Bobcats with 15 hits as the Purple & Gold moved to 9-1 when reaching the 10-hit plateau.



Junior Sydney Dirks spearheaded the Catamounts with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate. She blasted her team-best seventh homer of the season and knocked in three runs. Senior Taylor Waitley and junior Maya McPherson each collected three hits. Junior Lily Bell, junior Becka Wonsick, sophomore AG Batson, sophomore Courtney Marks, and senior Tate Stewman all contributed a hit.

Batson was strong in the circle for WCU. She tossed 5.0 innings, scattering three hits and allowing one run. She also had a career-high, tying five strikeouts. Sophomore Amanda Fulton finished off the run-rule win with the final three outs and a strikeout in her one inning of work.



Dirks wasted no time in the opening frame, following a one-out single from Waitley, the Mocksville, N.C. native lined a ball deep over the right field fence to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Ohio answered with a triple and an RBI groundout in the next half inning to make it 2-1.

The offense continued in the second as Marks and Stewman both singled and, after a groundout, advanced the runners. Waitley lined a single up the middle to give WCU the two-run lead. Following a steal of home from Stewman, McPherson picked up an RBI single to extend the advantage to 5-1.

Both offenses stalled in the third. In the fourth, Batson kept Ohio off balance, and the Bobcats continued to struggle for baserunners.

A Dirks RBI single in the fourth brought home Bell, pushing the score to 6-1.

Both squads were shut down 1-2-3 in the fifth before the Bobcats threatened in the sixth with a leadoff single and a walk, but Fulton entered and recorded three straight outs on nine pitches to send the contest to the home half of the sixth.

In the home half of the sixth, after back-to-back outs from Ohio, the Catamounts strung together four straight hits from Waitley, Dirks, McPherson, and Wonsick, with McPherson's run-scoring single and Wonsick's two-run double pushing WCU to the 9-1 run-rule victory.

Ally Meyers (4-3) began the game for the Bobcats, tossing 1.2 innings and allowing seven hits and five runs with a strikeout as Meyers was tagged with the loss. Keegan Moore threw the final 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs, as three of those were earned.

Western Carolina closes out the 2026 Catamount Classic on Sunday, March 8, with a 12:30 p.m. first pitch against Penn. The matchup against the Quakers is the third of the season between the two schools, as WCU has earned a 13-3 run-rule win back on opening day in Charleston and a 4-2 win earlier this weekend in the Catamount Classic.

Sunday's tournament finale is set for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available through links on CatamountSports.com. Visit Tournament Central for Catamount Classic information.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount softball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsb), or go to www.CatamountSports.com.
Print Friendly Version