Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina softball fell in both ends of Tuesday's midweek nonconference doubleheader with Georgia State on Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex. Georgia State used a trio of multi-run innings over the final four frames to take game one, 9-1 in six innings, before outlasting WCU in an 11-inning marathon with a two-run home run to complete the sweep with an 8-6 extra-inning victory.
The 11-inning affair in game two is the longest for WCU since 2015, when the Catamounts played 12 innings in a showdown against mountain rival East Tennessee State before the Bucs earned the 12-10 victory.
Freshman Kayden Lyda and junior Sydney Dirks led WCU's offense with three hits apiece, and both scored a run. Tate Stewman had a double and a home run, while classmate Rylee Butler doubled twice and posted a team-best four RBI to lead four players with two hits in the doubleheader.
Game One – Georgia State 9, Western Carolina 1 (6 Innings)
Georgia State used a trio of multi-run innings, including three in both the third and fifth, capped by a two-run sixth to score the 9-1 game one victory in six innings.
The Catamounts were limited to a run on three base hits spread between three players, with Tate Steman belting her 11th home run of the season in a 1-for-2 effort. Taylor Waitley (1-for-2) and Courtney Marks (1-for-2) both singled to provide WCU's other base runners in the loss.
Georgia State used a leadoff solo home run to take an early 1-0 lead. Waitley delivered a one-out single as the Catamounts looked to answer, but back-to-back outs kept it at a one-run game.
After a scoreless second, the Panthers responded with a two-run double and an RBI single in the third inning to push their advantage to 4-0 after three. GSU extended its lead in a three-run fifth, capitalizing on a WCU miscue with a two-run single. The Panthers tallied an RBI single the next batter to push the advantage to seven.
Stewman opened WCU's home half of the fifth with a solo blast to put the hosts on the scoreboard.
Georgia State, though, pushed the game out of reach in the sixth with a pair of runs to provide the final tally after keeping the Catamounts off the scoreboard for the 9-1 run-rule victory.
Starter Amanda Fulton (11-5) tossed 3.0 innings for the Catamounts. She allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits, with three strikeouts. Briony Bunsic pitched the final three innings in relief, giving up five runs, three earned, on five hits and two strikeouts.
Makayla Stephens (15-9) went the distance for the Panthers, tossing 6.0 innings and scattering three hits and allowing one run with 10 strikeouts.
Game Two – Georgia State 8, Western Carolina 6 (11 Innings)
Georgia State broke a streak of six-straight scoreless innings with a two-run home run in the top of the 11th inning to propel the Panthers to the 8-6 extra-inning victory to complete Tuesday's doubleheader sweep.
The two teams traded five-run frames in the third with WCU emerging with a 6-5 lead after three. GSU knotted the game in the top of the fifth inning, which capped scoring until the guests late-game heroics in extras.
The Catamounts pounded out 13 hits in game two as seven Catamounts recorded hits. Sydney Dirks and Kayden Lyda led the way with matching 3-for-6 performances. Rylee Butler doubled twice in a 2-for-4 effort with a team-best four RBI, and Maya McPherson (2-for-4) singled twice and added a sacrifice hit.
After a scoreless first, Courtney Marks reached on a two-out error before Butler lined her first double of the day to the left-center gap to give WCU a 1-0 lead.
Georgia State (23-20) opened its scoring in the third inning with a one-out RBI double that saw a run come across before the second runner was thrown out at the plate. However, that ruling was overturned on an obstruction call at third base. The next pitch was lined up the middle for a two-run single before the Panthers added a two-run homer to take a 5-1 lead.
The Catamounts responded in the bottom of the third with another two-out rally. Dirks and McPherson picked up one-out singles before Lyda reached on a two-out base knock to load the bases. Tatum Martin took advantage of a fielding miscue from GSU to drive in a run. The next pitch plunked Amari Burce to make it 5-3.
Butler continued her hot start with a three-run double to left-center to push the Catamounts back in front 6-5 after three. Two innings later, in the fifth, Georgia State connected on a two-out solo home run that evened the score, 6-6.
After the wild start, both offenses were held in check over the next five innings as the contest remained tied until the 11th inning. An infield error opened the fourth extra frame with Georgia State putting its lead-off runner aboard. Hatcher then hit the seventh pitch of her at-bat over the fence in left to break the stalemate, giving the Panthers a two-run lead.
WCU threatened with a leadoff single by Lyda in the bottom of the 11th but were unable to scratch across a run as the Panthers earned victory.
AG Batson tossed 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, with four strikeouts, but didn't factor into the decision. Amanda Fulton pitched 5.1 relief innings for Western Carolina, limiting the Panthers to a run on four hits, with five strikeouts. Briony Bunsic (3-2) tossed the final two innings, giving up the final two runs, one earned, on three hits and was tagged with the loss.
GSU starter Briana Bower pitched 2.2 innings, but likewise didn't factor into the decision with six unearned runs on six hits allowed, paired with two strikeouts. Brynn Belstle entered for 1.2 innings of relief, allowing three hits and three walks. Makayla Stephens (16-9) returned to the circle to toss 6.2 shutout innings, scattering four hits with five strikeouts to earn her second win of the day.
Western Carolina (24-15) returns to Southern Conference play on Saturday, April 11, for a conference weekend series at Samford. The two teams open with a twin bill in Birmingham at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT before a 2 p.m. ET / 1 pm CT Sunday showdown with the Bulldogs. Both games on Saturday are slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available for all three games on CatamountSports.com.
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