Birmingham, Ala. – Western Carolina softball used the long ball and big innings to take both ends of Saturday's Southern Conference doubleheader over Samford. Junior Sydney Dirks launched her 12th home run of the season, powering the Catamounts to a 2-1 victory in the series opener, before clinching the series by scoring eight runs over three decisive innings in an 8-4 victory in game two at the Samford Softball Field.

WCU improves to 10-4 away from Cullowhee, the first double-digit road win totals for the Catamounts since 2019 (13 wins). Western Carolina (26-15, 8-3 SoCon) is off to its best start in league play since a 9-2 record in 2021.

Dirks homered and collected a team-best four RBI as she and senior Taylor Waitley led the Catamounts with four hits apiece in the doubleheader. Waitley had two doubles and three RBIs. Senior Tate Stewman added three hits, including her 12th homer of the season.

Senior Rylee Butler and junior Lily Bell both had a pair of hits, and junior Becka Wonsick homered in game two. As a team, WCU hit .304 (17-of-56) over the course of Saturday's action with two doubles and three home runs.

WCU climbed to 22-8 when homering at least once this season, including an 11-2 mark in games with multiple homers. The Catamounts are now 18-3 when scoring at least six runs this season and are 24-3 when holding their opponents to less than five runs, with a 12-0 mark when opponents scored two or fewer runs.

Sophomore Amanda Fulton earned the game one win with a complete game, then returned in the finale to pitch a 1-2-3 seventh for her fourth save. Freshman Briony Bunsic collected her fourth win in game two relief, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing one unearned run with three strikeouts.

Game One – Western Carolina 2, Samford 1
Sydney Dirks belted a two-run home run in the first inning to open the weekend series, and pitcher Amanda Fulton did the rest with her team-best 11th complete game of the season as the Catamounts grabbed a tight 2-1 game one victory over the Bulldogs.

WCU's seven base hits were spread among five players. Taylor Waitley and Tate Stewman both finished 2-for-4, with Dirks sparking the squad with her 12th round-tripper of the season. The two combined for both of the Catamount runs in the first inning as Waitley grabbed a one-out single before Dirks blasted a two-run shot over the left field fence to give the Catamounts an early 2-0 lead.

Samford looked to answer in the home half with a trio of singles before Fulton induced a two-out flyout to keep WCU ahead by a pair of runs.

Both teams threatened in the middle innings, but each pitching staff held firm, leaving nine runners stranded in the tight battle.

In the seventh, Samford cut the deficit to one, using an HBP and a fielding miscue to put a pair of runners on. The Bulldogs plated what proved to be their lone run on an RBI single before a popup erased the threat and gave the Catamounts a one-run series-opening victory.

Fulton (12-5) went the distance for the Catamounts, tossing 7.0 innings and scattering eight hits while allowing one unearned run with a pair of strikeouts.

Sara Bond (4-3) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs, going 3.0 innings and allowing five hits and a pair of runs with five strikeouts. Makinley Turner pitched the final four shutout innings, giving up two hits and recording two strikeouts. 

Game Two – Western Carolina 8, Samford 4
Western Carolina scored eight runs in the middle innings, spurred by home runs from Becka Wonsick and Tate Stewman, to claim an 8-4 win and sweep Saturday's SoCon doubleheader.

Sydney Dirks (3-for-4), Taylor Waitley (2-for-4), and Rylee Butler (2-for-3) accounted for 70 percent of WCU's 10 base hits in game two (7-of-10), with Stewman hitting her 12th homer of the season and Wonsick securing her fifth big fly.

Wonsick's solo home run in the third inning broke the scoreless tie. Singles from Butler and Lily Bell put two aboard before Waitley doubled to expand the lead. Dirks drove in another run before a wild pitch made it 4-0.

Samford (17-26, 7-4 SoCon) got on the scoreboard in the home half of the third, using a pair of RBI singles before a run-scoring groundout cut the lead to one, 4-3, after three innings.

The Purple & Gold continued the offensive onslaught in the fourth, loading the bases on a walk by Courtney Marks, a single by Butler, and a walk by Bell. Waitley continued her strong offensive day with a two-run double before Dirks added an RBI single, pushing it to a 7-3 lead.

In her first full inning of relief work in the fourth, Briony Bunsic worked around a pair of baserunners without harm, including a strikeout to end the Bulldogs' threat.

WCU capped its scoring in the fifth inning, as for the second time in the game, WCU hit a lead-off home run as Stewman connected for the 8-3 advantage.

Both offenses were quiet until the Samford seventh, when the Bulldogs loaded the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate. However, Fulton shut the door with two popouts and a groundout, clinching the 8-4 win.

Starter AG Batson allowed six hits and three runs in 2.1 innings. Bunsic (4-2) pitched 3.2 innings of relief, allowing one unearned run on four hits with three strikeouts. Fulton threw a perfect seventh for her fourth save, matching the highest WCU mark since 2016.  

Brandy Phillips (4-6) pitched 2.1 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, paired with a strikeout, but suffered the defeat. Reese Hickey entered for 1.2 innings of relief, allowing four hits, four runs, and tallied three strikeouts. Olivia Treece tossed the final three frames, scattering one hit and recording three strikeouts.

Western Carolina closes out the weekend on Sunday with a series finale against Samford, scheduled 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT. Sunday's action is 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.