The Basics 
Score: Western Carolina 4, USC Upstate 3; Western Carolina 6, USC Upstate 5 (8 innings)
Records: Western Carolina 13-16, USC Upstate 16-8
Location: Cullowhee, N.C., Catamount Softball Complex
 
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina swept visiting USC Upstate in walk-off fashion in both games Monday at the Catamount Softball Complex. Myra Twitty hit a walk-off RBI single in the 4-3 game one win and Danielle Chapman’s sacrifice fly RBI, in the eighth inning, scored the game-winner, 6-5, in the game two victory. 
 
Western Carolina 4, USC Upstate 3
 
Turning Point 
Tied at three in the bottom of the seventh, Twitty hit an RBI single up the middle for the walk-off victory. 
 
How it Happened 

• Western Carolina scored the first run of the game. Senior Kailey McNeil hit a lead-off single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Twitty, and scored thanks to an RBI single past the shortstop by Savannah Baldwin. 
• The Catamounts went up 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Morgan Maddaluna hit a one-out single and moved to third on a Bailey Huneycutt single. Maddaluna scored on a Spartans’ wild pitch. 
• Twitty gave WCU a 3-0 lead with one swing of the bat hitting a home run to centerfield. 
• USC Upstate made things interesting when the Spartans hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3-3.
• The Spartans were shut down in the seventh when Catamount pitcher Jayme Eilers struck out a pair. This set up WCU’s walk-off win. Maddaluna and Lindsey Perillo hit back-to-back singles and Huneycutt was intentionally walked to load the bases. With two outs, Twitty singled to center field scoring Maddaluna for the walk-off win.    

 Inside the Box Score 

• It was pitching by committee for the Catamount pitching staff. Savannah Rice got the start and tossed two scoreless innings striking out two. 
• Caitlin Griffin replaced Rice and threw three scoreless innings allowing two hits. 
• Eilers tossed the remaining two innings. She gave up the three-run home run but continued to battle and struck out two in the seventh inning. She picked up the win and improves to 6-8. 
• The Catamounts had eight hits in the game and USC Upstate had six. 
• Maddaluna and Twitty each had two hits. Twitty also had two RBI and a home run while Maddaluna scored two of Western Carolina’s four runs in the game. 

 
Western Carolina 6, USC Upstate 5 (8 innings)
 
Turning Point 
For the second time, the two teams were tied, this time at 5-5. In the bottom of the eighth, and bases loaded, Chapman hit a deep fly ball to centerfield earning a sacrifice fly RBI scoring Savannah Baldwin.
 
How it Happened 

• USC Upstate took the early lead in game two scoring a pair of runs thanks to a pair of RBI singles. 
• The Catamounts trimmed the Spartans lead in half, 2-1, with one swing of the bat with Huneycutt’s two-out home run. 
• The Catamounts took the lead in the bottom of the second, 3-2. Jeralynn Wells led off with a single past third base and a Spartan error allowed Baldwin to reach first and moved to second and Wells to move to third. With two outs, Maddaluna hit a two-RBI triple to plate Wells and Baldwin. 
• The Spartans took a two-run, 5-3 lead, in the top of the fourth when a Catamount error and back-to-back singles loaded the bases for USC Upstate. A two-RBI single and a sacrifice fly RBI equated to three runs.
• The Catamounts may have been down but wasn’t out, fighting back to tie the game in the fifth. McNeil hit a one-out single and Wells hit a two-out single to put runners on first and second. Baldwin hit a two-RBI triple to tie the game. 
• USC Upstate looked like it might break the tie in the top of the seventh with a runner on third and one out. A ground out and strikeout ended the threat. 
• After the Catamounts failed to score in the bottom of the seventh and held the Spartans scoreless in the top of the eighth it was the Catamounts turn. 
• With Baldwin placed on second, thanks to international tiebreaker rules, she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Samantha Reele. Chapman’s RBI sacrifice fly to center secured the win.  

 Inside the Box Score 

• Eilers got the start tossing three innings giving up two runs on six hits and striking out two.
• Griffin replaced Eilers in the fourth inning. She gave up three hits and three runs but just one run was earned. 
• With the game tied 5-5, Rice came in to pitch the remaining two innings. She tossed two scoreless innings giving up two hits and striking out one. 
• USC Upstate had 11 hits in the game and the Catamounts had nine. 
• Wells and Maddaluna were each 2-for-4 in the game. Maddaluna and Baldwin each had two RBI.

 
News & Notes 

• Western Carolina has now won eight consecutive games. 
• The Catamounts swept USC Upstate for the first time in program history. 
• For the sixth time in program history, Western Carolina had two triples in a game when the Catamounts hit two triples in game two. 
• Huneycutt hit her seventh home run of the season and ranks tied for second in the SoCon. 
• Huneycutt has reached base safely in the last 12 games and also on an eight-game hitting streak. 
• In the last eight games, Rice has a 1.66 ERA tossing 25.1 innings making seven appearances, starting four games, tossing three complete games, earning one shut out, had one save, and struck out 18.
• As a team, Western Carolina is hitting .300 in the eight-game streak with 62 hits, 38 runs scored, six doubles, two triples, and six home runs. 
• Baldwin is hitting .500 in the last eight games with 10 hits, four runs scored a double, a triple, and a home run. She also has six RBI. 
• Huneycutt is just below .500, at .436, in the last eight games with 10 hits, seven runs scored, two doubles, three home runs, and six RBI. 
• The Catamounts have swept its last three doubleheaders. 

 
Up Next 
Western Carolina closes out its 10-game homestand hosting ETSU in a three-game SoCon series beginning with a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday.