Cullowhee, N.C. – Becka Wonsick blasted a pair of three-run home runs and Kayden Lyda homered to cap a pair of walk-off Western Carolina victories as the Catamounts swept both ends of Saturday's Southern Conference twin bill over Chattanooga. Sydney Dirks drew a game-winning, walk-off walk in a 3-2 win in game one before the Catamounts walked-off an 11-3, run-ruled victory in the back end of the doubleheader on Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Western Carolina (29-17, 10-4 SoCon) is off to its best league start since going 12-2 in 2021, securing its first double-digit league win total since '21. Saturday's victories mark the fourth conference series win for the Catamounts. WCU also secured the second straight series win over the Mocs after taking 2-of-3 a season ago in the Scenic City.
Wonsick finished 5-for-6 (.833) with a double, triple, and two homers to lead the Catamounts, scoring four runs and driving in a team-best six. Lily Bell tallied three hits, including a double. Her first hit on Saturday marked the 200th of her WCU career, the first Catamount to reach that milestone.
Kayden Lyda and Tate Stewman both had a pair of hits, with Lyda homering and Stewman legging out a two-bagger. Dirks recorded her 10th double of the season, in addition to plating the game-winning run on a free pass.
As a team, WCU hit .333 (16-of-48) in Saturday's action with four doubles, a triple, and three homers, while collecting 14 RBIs.
WCU improved to 24-9 when homering at least once this season, including a 12-2 mark in games with multiple homers. The Catamounts climbed to 20-3 when scoring at least six runs this season and 11-1 when reaching double-figures. WCU's opponents, when held to less than five runs, are 27-4, including a perfect 14-0 mark when opponents have scored two or fewer runs. The Catamounts are now 17-7 when scoring first and are now 15-5 when scoring in the first inning. WCU is also 20-0 when outhitting its opponents.
Sophomore Amanda Fulton earned the game one win, her 14th of the season coming on her 13th complete game. Freshman Briony Bunsic picked up her fifth victory, tossing her third complete game in the run-rule win over the Mocs.
Game One – Western Carolina 3, Chattanooga 2
Sydney Dirks drew a bases-loaded walk to score Courtney Marks as WCU walked-off Chattanooga 3-2 in Saturday's series opener. The teams traded a pair of individual run innings with UTC knotting the game in the top of the sixth on a Baileigh Pitts solo home run.
Becka Wonsick doubled in a team-leading, two-hit effort as one of five players to tally a hit in the contest. Lily Bell and Dirks also legged out doubles in the win, with Dirks collecting a pair of RBIs, including the game-winner on the free pass.
The Catamounts lit the scoreboard for a pair of solo markers in the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead through two complete. Dirks lined a double to left field to score Taylor Waitley, pushing WCU to an early 1-0 lead. In the second, Wonsick opened the inning with a leadoff double before Kayden Lyda picked up a two-out infield single to double the home squad's lead.
In the circle, Amanda Fulton tossed a 1-2-3 first and second inning, then worked around a pair of walks with groundouts to keep the lead at two.
Chattanooga (18-23-1, 6-8 SoCon) broke onto the scoreboard in the fourth with a one-out RBI double to cut the lead in half at 2-1. But WCU's defense limited any further damage with a corner-to-corner double-play.
UTC evened the contest at two in the sixth with a two-out solo blast over the centerfield fence by Pitts, sending the game to the seventh tied at two.
After stranding the would-be go-ahead run at second base in the top of the seventh, the Catamounts pounced home half. WCU loaded the bases using a lead-off single by Courtney Marks and a four-pitch, pinch-hit walk by Tatum Martin before a one-out fielder's choice by Waitley. Dirks then drew a full-count free pass to score Marks and give WCU the 3-2 win.
Fulton (14-5) went the distance, limiting UTC to two runs on three hits over 7.0 innings, with three strikeouts. She improved her team-high totals to 13 complete games, 14 wins, and 135 strikeouts.
Taylor Long (8-12) took the loss for the Mocs, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, while walking and striking out five.
Game Two – Western Carolina 11, Chattanooga 3 (5 Innings)
Western Carolina bookended Saturday's game two with a pair of five-run innings, firing out of the gates with a five-run first before capping the run-ruled victory with five in the fifth to propel the squad to the 11-3 run-rule victory over Chattanooga.
Becka Wonsick (3-for-3) belted a pair of three-run homers in the first and fifth, adding a triple that ricocheted off the left-field fence, posting a team-high six RBIs. Lily Bell and Tate Stewman both finished 2-for-3, with Stewman adding a double. Kayden Lyda (1-for-3) ended the finale with a two-run homer.
Wonsick became the fourth different Catamount, joining Stewman, Maya McPherson, and Sydney Dirks to hit two home runs in a game this season.
Starter Briony Bunsic (5-3) stranded a pair of Mocs on the basepaths in the top half of the first, before the Catamount bats got to work. Bell and Taylor Waitley picked up singles before McPherson walked to load the bases with one out. Stewman then opened the scoring with a two-run single, giving WCU the early advantage. The Catamounts continued their rally as Wonsick lined her first homer of the day over the left field fence three pitches later for a 5-0 lead after one.
The Mocs got on the scoreboard in the third, using a two-run single and an infield ground out to cut the deficit back to two, 5-3. WCU responded in the home half, though, as Wonsick lined a one-out triple off the left-field fence before scoring on the deep sacrifice fly by freshman Amari Burce to push the lead back to three, 6-3, after three innings.
WCU put the game and doubleheader sweep away in the five-run fifth inning. With Stewman and Maya McPherson aboard, Wonsick smacked her second three-run homer to push the lead to 9-3. Burce drew a one-out walk before Lyda ended the run-rule win with a first-pitch two-run shot over the right field wall for the 11-3 walk-off victory.
Bunsic threw a 5.0-inning complete game, surrendering three runs on six hits, striking out three to earn her fifth win of the season.
Sophia Guerra (3-3) took the loss as she recorded just one out, allowing three hits and four runs. Emery Bales pitched the remaining 4.1 innings for the Mocs and gave up seven runs on seven runs for UTC.
WCU closes its SoCon weekend on Sunday with the series finale against Chattanooga slated for a 1 p.m. start. The finale is slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
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