Cullowhee, N.C. – Seniors Tate Stewman and Taylor Waitley both connected on two-run home runs in their final home games, but Mercer used a pair of six-run frames to spoil Western Carolina softball senior day and home finale with a 16-11 victory on Saturday on Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex.
?Western Carolina (33-19, 12-6 SoCon) matched a pair of program records with 20 hits, matching a mark set a few weeks ago in a run-rule victory over Gardner-Webb. WCU also matched a season-high and program record for homers in a game with five, a mark also accomplished earlier this season against Furman.
In a record-breaking week for the Catamounts, Stewman capped it with a seventh-inning RBI single, giving WCU 462 hits to surpass the 2006 squad for most hits in a season. The Purple & Gold have now broken the team single-season record for hits (462), runs scored (349), runs batted in (324), and stolen bases (76).
Junior Lily Bell (4-for-4), junior Maya McPherson (3-for-5), Waitley (3-for-5), and Stewman (3-for-5) led the WCU offensive attack as the 20 hits were spread among eight players. Waitley, McPherson, Stewman, junior Becka Wonsick, and sophomore AG Batson each homered for the Catamounts. Stewman led the offense with three RBIs, with Waitley and Batson both plating two.
As a team, WCU finished with a .365 batting average (35-for-96), totaling 11 extra-base hits – seven homers, four doubles – and scoring 16 runs in the final home series.
Mercer (19-27, 7-11 SoCon) opened quickly with a six-run first, which included scoring a pair of runs on a WCU miscue before a three-run homer was sent down the left field line. The Bears capped the six-run opening inning with an RBI double.
The Catamounts answered, though, in the home half of the frame with Bell drawing a four-pitch walk before Waitley got the hosts on the board with a two-run homer. McPherson hit her team-best 17th homer of the season to cut the deficit in half, 6-3, after just one frame.
Amanda Fulton, who entered to close out the first inning with a strikeout and a double play, worked around a one-out single without trouble. Dirks picked up an RBI base knock in the second with Bell scoring to cut the margin to two, 6-4.
The Bears doubled their advantage in the third inning with a two-run home run to center field to make it 8-4 after three. Mercer then sent a pair of three-run homers over the centerfield wall in the top of the fifth inning to push its lead to 14-4.
Up against elimination in the home half of the fifth, McPherson connected on a first-pitch single before Stewman sent her 15th homer over the centerfield wall to trim the deficit to 14-6. Wonsick smacked a solo shot on the next pitch, followed by Batson, who hit a one-out solo shot to straightaway center to pull WCU to within six, 14-8, after five complete.
The guests picked up an RBI base knock in the top half of the sixth before Wonsick and Marks collected singles in the bottom half of the inning. Batson grabbed an RBI single, followed by a Bell RBI base hit to send the home finale to the seventh at a 15-10 lead for the Bears.
Mercer added an insurance marker with an RBI single in the visitor half of the second to send the home finale to the bottom of the frame at 16-10.
The Catamounts opened the seventh with three consecutive singles by Dirks, McPherson, and Stewman, the latter driving in a run to make it 16-11, while also setting the program's single-season record at 462. Wonsick drew a walk to reload the bases. However, Mercer recorded three straight outs to secure the series win and spoil WCU's senior day.
?Briony Bunsic (7-4) suffered the loss for WCU, surrendering six runs – five earned – on four hits without recording an out. Fulton went 4.1 innings, giving up nine hits and eight runs with a pair of strikeouts. Senior Riley Pennington recorded a pair of outs and allowed one hit and one run. Batson tossed the final two innings and surrendered three hits and an unearned run with a pair of strikeouts.
Grace McKillop opened the matchup for Mercer, allowing three hits and three runs while recording one out. Madison Starr (2-3) tossed 4.0 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts in relief to earn the victory. Grace Roark allowed nine hits and three runs in 1.2 innings of work. Katheryn Rearley (2) recorded the final three outs with a pair of strikeouts to earn the save.
Western Carolina finishes the home slate with a 19-10 record, the most home wins in a season since 2006 when the Catamounts earned 20 home victories.
?Following the conclusion of Saturday's home finale, the Catamounts honored their 2026 senior class, consisting of Stewman, Waitley, Pennington, and Rylee Butler, who, despite being sidelined by a hand injury, was able to enter Saturday's home finale and scored a run as a pinch runner.
WCU closes out the 2026 regular season with a trip to Spartanburg next Friday, May 1, for a three-game set against Wofford. The two teams open the twin bill at Hope Field at 3 p.m. before the regular-season finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Live stats will be available via CatamountSports.com for all three games, with Friday's doubleheader to be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
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