Western Carolina 5, Presbyterian 1
Presbyterian 4, Western Carolina 3
CLINTON, S.C. – Western Carolina softball split its final non-conference doubleheader of the season at Presbyterian Wednesday winning game one 5-1 before dropping game two 4-3 at the PC Softball Complex.
The Catamounts are now 20-26 overall heading into its final Southern Conference series of the season this weekend hosting Furman. WCU is 8-6 in SoCon play. Presbyterian is 21-19.
Senior catcher Heather Chastain had four hits over the pair of games and extends her hitting streak to 10 straight games.
With a complete game in game one and an inning in game two, senior pitcher Jordan Garrett has amassed 161 strikeouts this season and 695 in her career. Garrett needs just five strikeouts to hit the 700 career strikeout mark.
Senior pitcher Jordan Garrett was brilliant in her complete game victory over Presbyterian in game one. She gave up just one run on two hits and struck out eight. Garrett picked up her 14th win, 14-12 overall, of the season and 49th in her career.
Presbyterian’s only run came on a solo homerun by Hope Rogers in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Western Carolina scored single runs in the top of the third and fourth off an RBI single by Kara Salvo and a homerun by Chastain.
The Catamounts exploded for three runs in the fifth inning to break open a game that was previously sitting at 2-1 with advantage to WCU. It was Salvo and Chastain again in the scoring mix on an RBI single by Salvo and a two RBI single by Chastain.
Chastain was 3-for-3 in the game while Salvo and Courtney Price each had a pair of hits.
Junior second baseman Crystal Cyr got the Catamounts on the board early hitting a two-run homerun in the top of the first inning after Salvo hit a two-out double. It was Cyr’s team-leading eight homerun of the season.
Starting Catamount pitcher Courtney Buchanan had a rough opening to the game giving up three runs to Presbyterian in the bottom of the first inning. Buchanan gave up the decisive run of the game in the bottom of the third before holding the Blue Hose scoreless in the ensuing next two innings she pitched.
The Catamounts sliced the Blue Hose lead to one plating a base runner in the fourth inning. The run was set up by a two out double by Chastain who moved to third on a wild pitch. Chastain scored off an RBI single by Taylor Sigmon.
After giving up four runs in the first three innings, Buchanan held Presbyterian scoreless in the next two innings ending the game allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out four. Buchanan falls to 2-8 on the year. Garrett came in and tossed the bottom of the sixth yielding one hit.
Western Carolina will host Furman Saturday and Sunday in a three-game Southern Conference series. Saturday’s doubleheader is slated to begin at noon. Seniors Garrett and Chastain will be honored between games.
UNCG 5, Appalachian State 1
Appalachian State 4, UNCG 3
BOONE, N.C. – The UNCG softball team won game one, 5-1 but lost game two, 4-3 on a walkoff home run to split a doubleheader at Appalachian State Wednesday at the Sywassink/Lyoyd Family Stadium.
The Spartans sit at 17-19 overall on the season with the split. The Mountaineers are 13-29 overall after claiming game two.
In game one, freshman pitcher Alicia Bazonski threw a complete game and classmate Gabrielle Cubbage hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to help the Spartans win 5-1.
Bazonski improved to 8-8 after going seven innings and allowed just one earned run off four hits. Kaitlin Williford took the loss falling to 4-3 on the season after allowing five earned runs off seven hits.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a RBI sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Hagan Kiser. Sophomore Tory Wright worked a walk to start the inning. Senior Dominique Madruga reached on a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Kendall McKinney, Kiser lined a RBI sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
In the fourth inning, the Spartans had three hits, including a grand slam by Cubbage to take a 5-0 lead. Wright singled to start the frame and McKinney singled up the middle with one out. Senior Tatiana Alcala worked a walk to load the bases. Cubbage blasted her first collegiate home run to deep centerfield off the scoreboard giving the Spartans a 5-0 advantage.
Appalachian State ended the shutout with a RBI single by Caroline Chambers in the fourth inning. Cynthia Gomez broke up the no-hitter with a infield single and moved to second off a wild pitch. With two outs, Chambers lined a RBI single just over Madruga at second base to put the Mountaineers on the scoreboard.
In the seventh inning, Bazonski kept Appalachian State from scoring to seal the 5-1 victory in game one.
In game two, Pepper Butler blasted a walkoff solo home run to help the Mountaineers avoid the sweep, 4-3, against the Spartans.
Nicole Thomas took the loss after throwing a complete game. N. Thomas threw 6.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs off six hits. Alyssa Schoelkopf earned the win in relief to improve to 3-6 on the season after throwing 4.2 scoreless innings and only allowed two hits.
Appalachian State struck first with a RBI sacrifice fly by Cara Parker in the first inning. The Mountaineers loaded the bases with no outs after a leadoff double by Pepper Butler started the game. Gomez singled and Sarah Warnock worked a walked to load the bases. Nicole Thomas would limit the damage only allowing one run in the frame.
In the second inning, the Spartans took the lead with two runs off two hits as redshirt freshman Sidney Grkman lined a RBI double off the centerfield wall and Cubbage smoked a RBI single to left field to make it 2-1 UNCG.
Chambers tied the game for Appalachian State at 2-2 with a solo home run to centerfield in the second inning.
UNCG regained the lead with a solo home run from Lindsay Thomas in the third inning. It was Lindsay Thomas’ sixth home run of the season and 36th of her career.
The Mountaineers tied the game again after Gomez scored off a passed ball in the bottom of the third. Gomez singled to second base to start the inning. After back-to-back walks, App. State had the bases loaded but only came away with one run.
The Spartans had a great opportunity in the sixth inning as pinch-runner Alexis Overdiep was at third with one out. Wright started the inning with a double and Overdiep came in to pinch-run. After a sacrifice bunt, UNCG couldn’t push the run across as a wild pitch bounced off the backstop and Overdiep was tagged out at the plate.
With one out in the seventh inning, Butler ended the game with solo home run to give App. State a 4-3 victory.
The Blue and Gold return home for a three-game conference series against ETSU starting with a doubleheader Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium.