GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 2 seed Western Carolina advanced to its first Southern Conference Softball Championship title game in program history with a 4-1 win over No. 4 Mercer on Friday afternoon at the UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Catamounts (27-25) advance to face host and top seed UNCG (33-15) in the title game, on Saturday, May 15, at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. Mercer concludes its season at 24-23.
 
Mercer threatened in the top of the second. After Catamounts starting pitcher Jayme Eilers struck out Adele Braun swinging, she gave up a single to Danielle Castleberry and walked Bree Comer and Elise Rosado. With the bases loaded and just one out, Eilers struck out the next two batters to end the inning and get out of the jam.
 
Western Carolina scored first in the contest, plating two in the bottom of the third inning. Savannah Baldwin walked to lead off the inning and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI double to right center from Addie Pate. With one out, leadoff batter Claudia Riddle was hit by a pinch. Then, SoCon Player of the Year Bailey Huneycutt walked, moving Pate to third and Riddle to second. Mercer made a pitching change, bringing in freshman Madi Joice to replace the Bears’ starter, Ashlyn Donner. Joice was able to get cleanup batter Kailey McNeil to fly out, but a sacrifice fly allowed Pate to score from third and doubled the Catamounts’ lead.
 
Western Carolina added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Jeralynn Wells reached base on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a single up the middle by Lindsay Perillo. A wild pitch advanced each up a base before Baldwin drew a walk to load the bases. Pate, the next batter, also drew a walk and Wells scored to put Western Carolina in front 3-0. Perillo scored on the next at bat as Riley Lambert reached on a fielder’s choice.
 
Down 4-0 in the top of the seventh, Mercer scored to break up Eilers’ shutout. Elisa Rosado collected a pinch-hit single through the right side and advanced to second on a fly out from Annie Potter. Eilers was able to get Kenlie Harvey swinging to record the first out of the inning, but first-team all-conference outfielder Micayla Rood delivered in the next at bat, doubling to left center and scoring Rosado. Eilers ended the inning and game with a strikeout, her eighth of the contest.
 
Eilers, a first-team all-conference pitcher, allowed just five hits, going the distance in the win.
 
UNCG swept Western Carolina in the regular season, winning 9-1, 9-1 and 5-0 last weekend in the final conference series and besting the Catamounts 3-1 in the tournament in the first game on Friday.
 
Scoring Summary
Bottom 3^rd – Western Carolina 1, Mercer 0: Savannah Baldwin walked to lead off the inning and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI double to right center from Addie Pate.
Bottom 3^rd – Western Carolina 2, Mercer 0: Addie Pate scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Kailey McNeil.
Bottom 6^th – Western Carolina 3, Mercer 0: Addie Pate drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Jeralynn Wells.
Bottom 6^th – Western Carolina 4, Mercer 0: Lindsay Perillo scored as Riley Lambert reached on a fielder’s choice.
Top 7^th – Western Carolina 4, Mercer 1: After a pinch-hit single, Elisa Rosado advanced to second on a fly out and scored on a double by Micayla Rood.