Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Western Carolina softball (2-6) closed out the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament with a win defeating St. Bonaventure (1-4) 10-2 in six innings Sunday.

The 10 runs scored against the Bonnies is won less run then the combined runs the Catamounts scored in the previous four games. It was a breakout game for Western Carolina who has been struggling at the plate and at scoring runs to start the season.

Western Carolina got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Jamie Swank drew a walk and stole second. She moved to third on a ground out by Casey Camp and then scored off a wild pitch.

As junior hurler Michelle Tating cruised on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings the Western Carolina offense exploded at the plate.

The second inning was a huge one for the Catamounts as they capitalized on crucial errors by St. Bonaventure. Mollie Fowler opened the inning with a single through the left side and moved to second off a wild pitch. Stephanie Beatty drew a walk and moved to second off the second wild pitch of the inning which sent Fowler to third. The Bonnies got two quick outs but Western Carolina stayed in the inning when Heather Pritchard drew a walk to load the bases.

With based loaded Swank was hit by a pitch and it sent Fowler home for the first run of the inning. That was followed by Alesha Clayton drawing a walk and allowing Beatty to score. A two RBI single by junior Beth Hauser plated Pritchard and Swank for runs number three and four. Camp, who came back into the game after Clayton pinch hit for her, scored the fifth run of the inning off a wild pitch.

Western Carolina scored one run in the fifth inning and it all started with a single by Tating. After Fowler followed up Tating's hit with a passed ball, Danielle Reese came in to pinch run for Tating. Reese scored when Lauren Ross reached on a St. Bonaventure error.

After throwing five scoreless innings, Tating allowed two runs by St. Bonaventure in the top of the sixth inning. There were two runs on three hits and one error in the inning.

Western Carolina closed out the game with three runs in its half of the sixth inning to shorten the game. After back-to-back singles by Swank and Camp, Hauser came up big again with her second two RBI at bat this time thanks to a double to left center field. Hauser scored the final run of the game when she went home off a wild pitch.

Tating, who was named to the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament All-Tournament Team, picked up her second win in the tournament and improves to 2-1 on the season. She went six innings allowing two runs on six hits and also struck out six. Hauser was the only Catamount to have a multiple hit performance going 2-for-4 with four RBI.

Western Carolina returns to action Thursday when the Catamounts travel to Clinton, S.C. to take on Presbyterian. First pitch for the double-header is set for 2 p.m.