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Schedule

Full
Bri Bunsic vs UNCG
Sam Torres, Catamount Creative Media
5
Winner Mercer MERCER 18-26, 6-10 SoCon
2
Western Carolina WCU 32-18, 11-5 SoCon
Winner
Mercer MERCER
18-26, 6-10 SoCon
5
Final
2
Western Carolina WCU
32-18, 11-5 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mercer MERCER 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 5 7 1
Western Carolina WCU 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 7 1

W: Grace Roark (4-9) L: Fulton, Amanda (15-6)

0
Mercer MERCER 18-27, 6-11 SoCon
3
Winner Western Carolina WCU 33-18, 12-5 SoCon
Mercer MERCER
18-27, 6-11 SoCon
0
Final
3
Western Carolina WCU
33-18, 12-5 SoCon
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mercer MERCER 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2
Western Carolina WCU 1 1 1 0 0 0 X 3 8 0

W: Bunsic, Briony (7-3) L: Cloe Pless (0-1)

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

Stewman Homers in Split of Mercer; Bunsic Secures Shutout

Cullowhee, N.C. – Freshman Briony Bunsic spun a four-hit shutout behind timely offense, including a solo homer from senior Tate Stewman , as Western Carolina softball split Friday's twin bill with Mercer on Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex. WCU dropped the opener, 5-2, before winning game two, 3-0.

Junior Lily Bell led the Catamounts with three hits as she reached base safely five times over the two games. Junior Becka Wonsick, Stewman, freshman Kayden Lyda, freshman Amari Burce, and senior Taylor Waitley each added two hits, with Stewman picking up a double and a homer, along with Wonsick hitting a home run. Burce and junior Sydney Dirks each had a double in the doubleheader.

Bunsic led the Catamounts in the circle, grabbing her seventh win of the season in her fifth complete game, which includes a 5-1 mark in SoCon play.

Game One – Mercer 5, Western Carolina 2
Mercer, holding a 2-1 lead after four, plated a three-run fifth inning to pull away and withstand a late charge from the Catamounts to claim a 5-2 series-opening win.

WCU tallied seven hits in the opener, led by Becka Wonsick (2-for-3), who connected on her 10th homer of the season, becoming the fourth Catamount to reach double-digit homers. Sydney Dirks and Tate Stewman each tallied doubles in the game one setback.

Both teams struggled to get the offenses going in the opener as Amanda Fulton faced the minimum in the first three, as she tallied five strikeouts and recorded a double play to keep it scoreless. WCU stranded a pair of baserunners in the low-scoring start to Friday's action.

In the fourth, Mercer (18-27, 6-11 SoCon) connected on a one-out two-run homer down the left field line to race to the 2-0 lead.

The Catamounts answered with a one-out single from Maya McPherson before an RBI double from Stewman cut the lead in half, 2-1. The hosts threatened for more, but Mercer was able to leave the bases loaded in the inning.

The Bears responded in the fifth with a pair of two-out RBI doubles before an RBI single on three straight at-bats blew the score open to a 5-1 lead.

Wonsick opened the sixth with a solo homer to cut the deficit to three. The Catamounts were unable to get it any closer in the opener as Mercer held on for the 5-2 win.

Fulton (15-6) tossed 5.0 innings, scattering six hits and five runs to go along with seven strikeouts. AG Batson pitched the final two shutout innings of relief as she allowed just one hit and tallied two strikeouts.  

Grace Roark (4-9) went the distance for the Bears, allowing seven hits and two runs with a pair of strikeouts to get the guests out to the 1-0 series lead.

Game Two – Western Carolina 3, Mercer 0
Briony Bunsic spun a four-hit shutout in the circle, paired with single runs in each of the first three innings. WCU earned the 3-0 shutout to split Friday's twin bill.

Western Carolina (33-18, 12-5 SoCon) totaled eight hits in the finale as Lily Bell (2-for-3), Taylor Waitley (2-for-4), and Amari Burce (2-for-3) led the offensive attack. Bell and Burce each had doubles as Tate Stewman went deep in the win.

Following a 1-2-3 first from Bunsic, the Catamounts wasted no time in the first with a leadoff double and an error from the Bears putting Bell all the way to third before Waitley picked her up with the RBI single to stake the hosts to a 1-0 lead.

After another 1-2-3 frame from Bunsic, Burce opened the second with a single before a fielding miscue, and a single from Kayden Lyda loaded the bases with no outs. Mercer got a fielder's choice to keep the bases loaded before Waitley grabbed her second RBI single of the game to push the lead to a pair.

Bunsic worked around a one-out walk without issue as Stewman opened the third with a deep drive to straightaway center that gave the Catamounts a 3-0 advantage.

The final four frames saw each side threaten with traffic on the bases, but both pitchers were able to keep the scoreboard quiet as WCU held the 3-0 shutout to earn the split.

Bunsic (7-3) tossed 7.0 innings, scattering four hits and picking up four strikeouts to earn her seventh win of the season.

Cloe Pless (0-1) suffered the defeat, allowing seven hits and three runs in the game two setback. Madison Starr tossed two shutout innings as she allowed just a hit.

WCU closes out its home slate with a 10 a.m. first pitch against Mercer for Senior Day. The Catamounts home regular-season finale is slated to be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network, with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.

Fans can follow WCU softball on Facebook, Twitter (@CatamountSB), Instagram, and CatamountSports.com.
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