Catamount Softball Earns First Win of the Season, 9-0 over Winston-Salem State
Western Carolina captured its first victory of the 2007 season, downing Winston-Salem State, 9-0 in five innings in what was originally scheduled to be the first game of a twin bill Wednesday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex. However, lightning and heaving rain forced the second game to be halted in the top of the fourth inning with Western leading, 5-0. As the downpour continued on an already damp field, a decision was made to cancel the game with neither team counting stats nor win/loss.
Catamount sophomore pitcher Mendy McKenzie earned her first no-hit, shutout victory on the day, tossing five solid innings in the circle while giving up just two walks and a hit batsman, while striking out eight. The Clemmons, N.C., native helped her own cause by going 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk, three runs scored and a RBI.
WCU (1-5), which scored all of its runs after two were out in each inning, broke through in the home half of the second inning. With two on and two out, sophomore Heather Pritchard singled to left center to score both McKenzie and senior Nikki Bost, who each had drawn walks.
Leading 2-0 in the home half of the fourth, the Catamounts again rallied with two out as McKenzie singled down the left field line and advanced to second when Pritchard drew a walk after running the count full. Freshman Serena Smith was first-pitch swinging and laced a singled down the right field line to move Pritchard to third and scored McKenzie from second. On the ensuing play, Smith took a huge walking lead off of first, eventually stealing the base which allowed Pritchard to dash home on the throw to second giving Western a 4-0 advantage.
Still in the fourth, with two on following a Stephanie Beatty walk, junior Savannah Filley belted the Catamounts’ first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left center to push WCU ahead, 7-0.
Western pushed the game to the mercy rule one inning later, tallying a pair of runs on two hits in the top of the fifth. Again with two gone, Bost doubled down the left field line before McKenzie roped her first-career triple to drive in her teammate from second base. WSSU’s throw back in from the outfield skipped across the infield and rolled into Western’s dugout, by rule scoring McKenzie from third and thus ending the game.
In addition to McKenzie’s perfect day at the plate, Filley went 2-for-3 with the homer and three RBI, with Pritchard driving in a pair on a 1-for-2 showing with a walk. Beatty was walked three times on the afternoon, with Bost scoring twice on a 1-for-2, one walk outing.
For Winston-Salem State (1-6), Amber Shore suffered her third defeat of the season (1-3) after going four and two thirds innings, allowing nine runs ? eight earned ? with six walks and striking out five.
Western returns to action in tournament play this weekend at the Charlotte First Pitch Classic. The Catamounts are scheduled to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd this Friday (Feb. 23) at 10:00 am before facing the host 49ers at 4:30 pm.
Softball Falls to North Carolina
ELON, N.C. ? The North Carolina softball team swept Elon in doubleheader action on Wednesday afternoon at East Field. The Tar Heels earned a 6-1 victory in the first game and then downed the Phoenix 5-4 in game two.
In the first game, the Tar Heels got on the board in the top of the second inning. With runners on second and third, Lisa Norris knocked a grounder to the pitcher, allowing pinch runner Christine Knauer to score from third a give North Carolina a 1-0 lead.
North Carolina added four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Cassie Palmer doubled to lead off the inning before advancing to third on a routine grounded. Palmer took home on a wild pitch to put the Tar Heels up 2-0. With the bases loaded, Emily Troup doubled down the left field line to send home three runners and give Carolina a 5-0 advantage.
Elon responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth when Debbie Zeigler knocked a double to right field to plate Paige Goss from second and cut the lead to four at 5-1. But North Carolina tacked on another run in the top of the sixth when Jennifer Jacobs hit an RBI single up the middle to score Palmer and put Carolina ahead 6-1.
Norris picked up the win for the Tar Heels after tossing a complete game and giving up one run on five hits while striking out nine batters
Samantha Schroeder (0-1) suffered the loss for the Phoenix after hurling 4.2 innings and giving up five runs on eight hits and striking out one. Melanie Helterbran tossed 2.1 innings in relief and gave up one run on three hits and struck out one batter.
Joslin Higgins and Norris led the Heels from the plate, each going 2-for-3. Stephanie Murad notched two hits while Palmer tallied two runs and Troup posted three RBI.
Goss led the Phoenix offense with two hit in four at bats with one run. Tracey Dahlen, Rebecca Rijavec and Zeigler all notched a hit for Elon.
In the second game, North Carolina started the scoring in the top of the first inning when an RBI-single by Jacobs plated Palmer to put the Tar Heels up 1-0.
Elon responded in the bottom of the inning. Goss reached on a single up the middle before Dahlen knocked a double to right centerfield to send Goss home and knot the game 1-1. With runners on the corners, Smith doubled to left centerfield to score Dahlen and go ahead 2-1.
But the Tar Heels would tie the game in the top of the second when Palmer knocked a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Whitney Allen and tie the game 2-2.
Carolina would break the tie and take a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Anna Evans reached on a single to left field before Jacobs used a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. A groundout moved Evans to third before Troup singled to left field to send Evans home and give the Tar Heels the lead.
Elon recorded two runs in the bottom of the sixth innings to take the lead. Rijavec singled up the middle before Ashlee Crewe knocked a double to put runners on second and third. Brandi Jones then hit a grounder to the second baseman, but the throw to home was late as pinch runner Jaymie Shanahan scored. The ball got past the catcher and Crewe took advantage and crossed home plate to put Elon ahead 4-3.
The Tar Heels regained the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Allen and Roberts tallied singles to put runners on first and second before Ashley Oxendine knocked a double to plate both runners and give Carolina a 5-4 edge. The Tar Heels got three straight outs in the top of the seventh to finish the game and earn the win.
Norris (4-4) picked up the win after tossing 1.2 innings in relief and giving up no runs on no hits. Starter Amber Johnson threw 5.1 innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on 10 hits while striking out five batters.
Carol Lilley (1-2) suffered the loss for Elon after throwing six innings and giving up five runs on six hits while retiring two batters. Schroeder threw one inning in relief and gave up no runs on one hit.
Anna Roberts led the Tar Heels (6-5) from the plate going 2-for-3 with one run. Evans, Jacobs, Troup, Allen and Oxendine each posted one hit for Carolina while Oxendine tallied two RBI.
Dahlen led the Phoenix offense with three hits on four at bats, one run and one RBI. Crewe added two hits on three at bats and one run while Goss, Zeigler, Smith, Rijavec and Jones each tallied one hit.
Elon (2-4) returns to action on Friday, Feb. 23 in a 1 p.m. game against Rider in the Elon Invitational at Burlington Springwood Park.
SOFTBALL TAKES GAME TWO IN DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST LIPSCOMB
Gainesville, Fla. ? Senior Alyssa Edwards (Geneva, N.Y.) led the Chattanooga Lady Mocs (2-5) to victory in the second game of Wednesday night’s doubleheader against Lipscomb (6-2) with her three-run hit in the bottom of the fifth.
“We can’t come out back on our heels and expect to win,” Chattanooga head coach Frank Reed. “The upside was we got a good game out of [Brooke] Loudermilk and her 13 strikeouts. We still left 10 people on base, and that’s too many.”
Chattanooga took the second game 4-2 with seven hits and no errors. Edwards also went three-for-three, and sophomore Ashley Cuticchia (Rising Fawn, Ga.) had two hits on three at bats for her second multiple-hit game of the season.
Both teams were held scoreless until the Lady Mocs loaded the bases on two hits and a walk. Cuticchia scored on a wild pitch before junior Ashlan Clarkson (Chickamauga, Ga.) walked to load the bases again to set up for Edwards’ three-run hit to put the team up 4-0.
Lipscomb rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring on Heather Collins’ two-out double to the left field fence.
The Lady Bisons were led in game two by Lauren Dortwegt’s three hits on four at bats and one run.
Freshman pitcher Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) had 13 strikeouts in 33 batters faced, garnering her first win of the season.
The Lady Bisons (6-1) took the game one with a score 8-2 behind three multi-hit homeruns, eight hits and three Lady Mocs errors.
But senior Brittney Whittier (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had her bat swinging going three-for-three for the second game in a row, hitting two singles up the right side and one up the middle and tallying one RBI.
The Lady Mocs got off to a rough start in the first game giving up a three-run Leigh Little homer in the third inning to put Lipscomb up 3-0.
Chattanooga answered back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on Whittier’s RBI, and a Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) one-run single through the left side to make the score 3-2.
But the Lady Mocs weren’t able to recover and gave up two Kellie Sirus homeruns in the top of the fifth and seventh to seal the win.
Lipscomb allowed only two runs and tallied six strikeouts in game one behind the pitching of Christen Campbell.
The Lady Mocs host the annual Panera Bread Challenge this weekend starting on Friday morning. Chattanooga’s first game of the tournament is against St. Francis at 2:30 p.m. at Frost Stadium.