CULLOWHEE, N.C (04/18/07) ? Georgia State (26-23, 5-6 CAA) softball splits a twin bill with Western Carolina (21-27, 5-7 SoCon) at the Catamount Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon. State won the nightcap 12-4 and dropped the opening game 5-4 in eight innings.
Nichole Griffin (Leesburg, Ga./Lee County) opened the nightcap for the Panthers with a three-run long ball in the first inning.
Stephanie Beatty hit an RBI double to plate the first run for Western Carolina in the bottom of the inning.
Lauren Fetters (Canton, Ga./Sequoyah) powered her first home run of the year in the third frame adding two more runs to State's total. Lily Skelton (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove) attached a homer of her own in the fourth to extend the Panthers lead to 6-1.
Heather Pritchard scored on Stephanie Beatty's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to cut State's lead to 6-2.
Mary Kathryn Branan (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton) crossed in the sixth frame on a passed ball. Rachel Cunningham (Alpharetta, Ga./South Forysth) singled to the pitcher to plate Nichole Griffin, giving the Panthers an 8-2 advantage.
Continuing the inning, Alison Bradford (McDonough, Ga./Henry County) hit an RBI double to score Cunningham from first base. Jessica Gowin (Cohutta, Ga./Northwest Whitfield) singled to right field as Bradford scored and advanced to second on the throw. Fetters hit a single up the middle to cross Gowin after Holly Willis (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) received a walk.
Lauren Ross hit a lead off home run and Moller Fowler followed with a double. Danielle Reese hit an RBI single to plate Fowler and cut the lead to 11-4.
Skelton hit an RBI single to cross Branan in the seventh inning for the Panthers.
Madi Gore (15-8) retired eight batters and collected the win for State. Savannah Filley (4-6) picked up the loss for Western Carolina.
In the opening game, both teams were held scoreless until the fifth inning when junior Jessica Gowin smacked a home run into left field.
The Catamounts responded with two runs of their own on an error in the sixth frame to take a 2-1 lead.
On a Western Carolina error, sophomore Holly Willis scored the tying run in the top of the seventh. In the eighth inning, freshman Lauren Fetters scored on an RBI walk and Danielle Roddy (Canton, Ga./Woodstock) was plated on freshman Rachel Cunningham's single.
Savannah Filley homered to tie the game and Heather Pritchard hit the game-winning double in the eighth inning as Western Carolina squeezed past Georgia State 5-4.
Ashley Cowan (8-7) took the loss for the Panthers while fanning four batters in 7 2/3 innings. Mendy McKenzie (9-14) grabbed the win for the Catamounts, pitching eight innings and striking out 11.
The Panthers will be in action again this weekend as they host Colonial Athletic Association foe UNC Wilmington at Bob Heck Field in Panthersville, Ga. A doubleheader will be played on Saturday, April 21 at noon and a single game on Sunday at noon.
