April 27, 2008

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina scored five runs, three unearned, in the bottom of the fifth to rally past Furman 6-5 and claim the three-game Southern Conference weekend series with the Paladins Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex.

The win pushed the Catamounts to 17-34 overall and 7-14 in the SoCon while Furman dropped to 21-28 overall and 8-10 in the league.

With the Paladins in control 5-1 in the middle of the fifth, Bethany Ullrich entered the game in relief of Lana Mackey. She issued three straight walks and was charged with an illegal pitch allowing the Catamounts to trim the lead to 5-2.

Mackey re-entered the game with two on base. Amber Hawkins drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Mackey struck out Beth Hauser for the second out. Stephanie Beatty hit a grounder to short, but the ball bounced between the legs of Stephanie Cushing to keep the inning alive. Mollie Fowler singled through the left side to cut the lead to 5-4 and Lauren Ross doubled to left-center to tie the game at 5-5. Heather Pritchard singled up the middle to cap the rally and give the Catamounts a 6-5 lead.

Furman took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. Katie Michaels reached base and advanced to second on an error to open the game before Brythe Blankenship plated the freshman with a two-out single to center.

The Paladins added to their lead with another two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Colleen Harrison laced a two-out double into the gap and Megan Schonhar followed with a walk. Ullrich lined a double to left-center to drive in a pair and Michaels plated Ullrich with an infield single to up the lead to 4-0.

Western Carolina scored on a Paladin error in the bottom of the fourth, but Furman answered immediately as Cushing belted a solo homer to straightaway center to open the fifth.

Mackey (16-22) suffered the loss for Furman allowing three unearned runs in six innings of work. Lauren Ross (9-16) came on in relief to earn the win for Western Carolina while adding two hits at the plate. Cushing went 2-for-3 with a homer and Harrison collected two hits to lead Furman.

The game was delayed by rain for over an hour during the bottom of the sixth.

Furman returns to action next weekend with a three-game SoCon series at UNC Greensboro.