CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina softball went toe-to-toe with #7 Tennessee on Thursday night as the Lady Volunteers used the power of three fifth-inning home runs to claim the 6-0 victory at the Catamount Softball Complex in front of a program-record 732 fans. 

Thursday's loss halted WCU's five-game win streak as the Catamounts welcomed the highest-ranked team in program history to Cullowhee. 

Freshman Lily Bell tallied her seventh straight multi-hit game and the Woodstock, Ga. native extended her hit streak to 12 games with a 2-for-3 effort. Taylor Waitley also got in the hit column with her base knock that opened the sixth inning for WCU.

Tennessee (23-4) threatened early in the opening frame with back-to-back two-out baserunners reaching before WCU starter Makenzie Martin induced the flyout to keep the guests off the board. The Lady Vols recorded a quick 1-2-3 frame and opened the second with three straight base hits before the Catamounts defense erased Tennessee with a flyout, fielder's choice, and a groundout to keep the game scoreless.

After Western Carolina (7-12) struggled to get the bats going in the second with another 1-2-3 frame, the Lady Vols put two on in scoring position before reliever Taylor Norton got back-to-back ground ball outs to keep the game deadlocked at zero.

Following another 1-2-3 frame from the Lady Vols in the circle, Tennessee broke the scoreless tie as two of the first three hitters reached on an error and a walk. Taylor Pannell then delivered an RBI single to left, breaking the scoreless drought between the two squads. Tennessee pushed across a second run on a sacrifice fly to cap the inning and make it 2-0.

Bell's leadoff single in the fourth broke the Catamounts' hitless streak. However, three straight punchouts sandwiched around Bell grabbing her team-high 10th stolen base kept it a two-run game.

Tennessee used the long ball in the fifth inning to break open the game as three homers including back-to-back solo shots to open the fifth and a two-run homer by KiKi Milloy allowed the Lady Vols to stretch the lead to 6-0.

Jeralynn Wells opened the home half of the fifth by drawing a hit-by-pitch. She was able to advance to second but was stranded as the Catamounts left four on the base paths on the day.

Tessa Juett, WCU's third pitcher of the game, entered her first clean inning in the sixth. After the leadoff walk was erased on a caught stealing as Waitley and Bell connected for the out, she retired the next two Tennessee batters to get out of the frame.

WCU's best offensive threat came in the sixth inning. Waitley and Bell reached on singles to open the frame, and following a sacrifice bunt from Mattie Mentel, the two advanced to scoring positions. Tennessee used a pair of strikeouts to erase the threat quickly.

Juett was able to work around a two-out single without harm before the Lady Vols erased the Catamounts 1-2-3 in the seventh to claim the 6-0 win. 

Norton (2-3) was tagged with the loss in her relief outing for WCU, tossing 2.0 innings while allowing four runs, three of which were earned, while scattering five hits. Makenzie Martin opened the night for the Catamounts, tossing two scoreless frames while scattering four base hits. Tessa Juett finished the game with 3.0 innings pitched, three hits, and a pair of runs allowed, as she added two strikeouts. 

Charli Orsini got the start for Tennessee and faced the minimum through three frames but didn't factor into Thursday's decision. Payton Gottshall (10-2) tossed the final four frames, allowing three hits and nine strikeouts to pick up the victory.

The Catamounts begin Southern Conference play on Saturday, March 23, with a trip to Greenville, S.C., to battle chromatic rival Furman in a three-game series. The Catamounts and Paladins square off in a 1 p.m. twinbill before closing the series the following afternoon at 1 p.m. All three contests will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available at CatamountSports.com. 

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