GSU Returns Home to Face Western Carolina
3/16/2012 2:49:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Softball returns to conference play with a three-game set against Western Carolina. The Eagles lead the Southern Conference with a 3-0 league mark following last weekend's three-game sweep over Samford on the road and are 14-10 overall. This weekend's games open league play for Western Carolina who owns a 9-13 overall record.
Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) is batting .436 on the year with three home runs and 11 RBI in the season's first 24 games. Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) is hitting .338 with a .500 slugging percentage while earning 16 walks. Kourtny Thomas (Warner Robins, Ga.) paces the Eagle power hitters with five home runs and 16 RBI.
The Eagle pitching staff is paced by Sarah Purvis' (Warner Robins, Ga.) who tossed her first career no hitter last week against LaSalle. She struck out 16 in the appearance and enters the weekend with 90 total strikeouts. She is 7-5 this season with a 2.14 ERA. Brooke Red (Warner Robins, Ga.) has a perfect 5-0 record with an 0.76 ERA.
The Catamounts enter this weekend's play on a four-game losing streak after dropping games to Georgia Tech and USC Upstate. Both teams are receiving votes in the NFCA polls. In its last game, Western Carolina hit a trio of home runs.
Shemek Scotton leads the Catamounts at .358 while Erin Foster is the top slugger with five home runs. The WCU pitching staff has a 5.21 staff ERA behind a 4.01 mark from Jordan Garrett. She is 5-7 on the season in 73.1 innings of work.
The weekend series begins with a Saturday doubleheader from Eagle Field. Play begins at 1 p.m. and after the pair of games Eagle Softball will host a free clinic for boys and girls up to age 12. For more information, please contact Joe Sherman at 912-478-1500. The series concludes on Sunday afternoon with a single game starting at 1 p.m.
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