GREENSBORO, NC Two Western Carolina homers and costly UNC Greensboro fielding errors led the Catamounts to a 9-1 victory over the Spartans in Southern Conference softball action on a rain filled Saturday afternoon at UNCG Softball Stadium.
Western Carolina (33-16, 10-2 SoCon) maintained its grip on first place in the league by scoring three run in each of the final three innings. Heather Pritchard got the Catamounts on the board in the fifth with a laser shot over the fence in leftcenterfield for a three-run homer.
UNCG (18-31, 3-10 SoCon) got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Krista Judge to bring the Spartans to within two, 3-1.
However, Stephanie Beatty launched a two-run double off the wall in left to make it 5-1 in the sixth. Jenny Jackson capped the scoring spree with another three-run blast to left in the seventh to give Western the 9-1 victory.
Western's Mendy McKenzie cruised to her 19th victory of the season, after allowing one run on five hits and stuck out eight Spartan hitters.
Vanessa Oakes took the loss for UNCG, falling to 9-13. She got little help from her defense as six of the nine runs allowed on the afternoon were unearned. She stuck out a game-high 10 batters, which was one of her career best.
Lyndsay Mouse had two hits for UNCG, while Judge, Kelly Allen and Vanessa Oakes each added one hit for the Spartans.
Pritchard finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs scored, three RBIs and her ninth homer of the season. Beatty was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Lauren Ross also had two hits for the Catamounts.
UNCG and Western will play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1 pm at UNCG Softball Stadium.
AGATE
Line Score 123 456 7 R-H-E
WCU 000 033 3 9-10-0
UNCG 000 010 0 1-5-4
WCU: Mendy McKenzie and Allyson McCubbins
UNCG: Vanessa Oakes and Kelly Allen
W: McKenzie (19-5). L: Oakes (9-13). SV: None.
