SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Western Carolina softball split a pair of games at the San Diego Classic on Sunday, edging Yale 2-1 the morning before dropping an 8-1 decision to tournament host San Diego later in the day.
WCU is 7-10 on the season.
Game 1: Western Carolina 2, Yale 1
Bailey Huneycutt drove in two runs with a double and
Tessa Juett limited Yale to four hits with a career-high nine strikeouts as the Catamounts opened the day with a 2-1 victory.
After the first two innings were scoreless,
Bailey Treadway led off the third with a single and advanced to second on a two-out single by
Natalie Henry. After a wild pitch advanced the runners, Huneycutt drove in Treadway and Henry with a double to right field.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Lauren Perron reached on a two-out single and scored on a Willa Ferrer double. The Catamounts got out of the inning as Juett was able to induce a flyout.
WCU threatened in the sixth inning but left the bases loaded. In the Yale half of the seventh, Ferrer reached on a one-out double, but Juett secured the win for the Catamounts with a popout and a strikeout.
Juett allowed one run on four hits with one walk to earn her third win of the season. Her nine strikeouts eclipse her previous career-best of eight, accomplished in the season opener against Tennessee Tech as well as last season against Winthrop. The Berea, Ky. native retired seven straight batters in the middle innings.
Brooklynn Brewington led the Catamount offense with two hits as she went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. Henry, Huneycutt, Treadway,
Savannah Baldwin, and
Riley Lambert each finished with one hit.
Ferrer and Perron both finished with four hits for Yale. Emma Taylor took the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Game 2: San Diego 8, Western Carolina 1
San Diego jumped out to an early lead and didn't look back as the Toreros emerged with an 8-1 win.
The Toreros got on the board in the first inning with a two-out single by EJ Joyner and added four runs in the second inning followed by two more in the fourth.
Savannah Baldwin led off the sixth inning with a double, reached third on a
Mattie Mentel infield single and scored on a San Diego error. San Diego got the run back in the bottom of the frame.
Baldwin finished 2-for-3 with a single and double while Mentel and
Bailey Huneycutt each singled.
Izzy Owen and Makalyn Emmanuelli both finished with three hits to lead San Diego.
WCU returns to the East Coast for a doubleheader at Georgia State on Wednesday. The Catamounts and Panthers are scheduled to play at Noon and 2 p.m.
For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts and @catamountsb on Twitter or go to
www.catamountsports.com.
