CLINTON, S.C. – Cementing the PC Softball Complex as one of the toughest venues to compete in at the mid-major level for opposing sides, the undefeated Presbyterian College squad kept that moniker intact on Wednesday afternoon by grinding out a pair of tough wins over a scrappy Western Carolina foe. Again focusing on the team's scintillating defensive mindset, the Blue Hose pulled off a 5-2 Catamount defeat in part one of the midweek doubleheader before holding on late in a 6-5 nightcap.

In a series between two clubs entering the day without an L pulling down their resume (albeit with WCU playing six less games than Presbyterian), head coach David Williams' roster whittled down the short list of remaining unbeaten teams to just nine after outscoring the Catamounts 11-7 for the day, finding three separate innings with three scores each over the course of the DH.

Among the elite group of undefeated teams left standing, the Blue Hose have put themselves in the company of top-ranked UCLA, #3 Florida, #5 Clemson, and #15 LSU as fellow programs who have yet to be bested with 10 wins or higher. Only LSU and Presbyterian boast 10 victories on their home turf to this point, with coach Williams and co. mowing down everyone in their path over their 12-day period at the renovated Clinton facility.
 
NOTABLES
- Going on yet another pitching rampage that is quickly becoming the norm, senior ace Jenna Greene permanently etched her name in the PC record books on Wednesday by becoming the first player in the program's 25-year history to notch 500 strikeouts after retiring 14 batters in the two-parter's opening act. Going into the day with 488 K's, the preseason Big South Pitcher of the Year tossed her fifth complete game of the campaign while only allowing four hits, canning at least one in all seven frames.

- The 21^st time in her career turning back 10 or more in a single game while hitting 14 or higher for the fifth occasion, Greene's mastery in the circle kept Presbyterian's streak of opponents' scoreless innings alive all the way up to 18 (following two straight shutouts over IUPUI and Appalachian State over the weekend), continuing her case as one of the finest twirlers in the nation.

- Junior second-baseman Kaitlyn Tucker produced a season-best performance in round one versus the Catamounts on a 3-of-4 effort offensively beside two RBI and a run scored, going on to bat a third run home across the second outing.

- No other Blue Hose member registered more runs on the day than sophomore designated player/outfielder Mallory Fletcher, sprinting or sliding home thrice beside a 2-of-3 batting line in Game 1 to complement her first RBI in a PC uniform.

- Through 10 appearances, four different players have wrangled in at least five scores off their bat, carried by six from Tucker. While not quite at that level due to early injury, junior Jillian Hewes more than made up for lost time on Wednesday by bringing in a score in both outings as a pinch hitter, her first time in the order since opening day of the season on February 10.

- Hewes' first-baseman mate Kendall Owens turned in another solid showing during the nightcap to aid Presbyterian to its first ever 10-0 start to a semester, reaching two hits and a score in Game 2 alone, one of nine different Blue Hose participants to tally at least one run in the sweep.
 
GAME 1 – PC (9-0) def. Western Carolina (2-1), 5-2
- It took a grand total of 60 innings on the season for PC to trail by more than one run, finally occurring in the top of the 4^th during the opening bout when WCU smashed a two-score double. That 2-0 deficit lasted a whole one and a half inning once PC answered with a score later that same frame and reeled off three more in the bottom of the 5^th.

- Fletcher's first run of the contest on a Hewes double (just her third at-bat of the campaign) tied things up at two each before Tucker handed PC the advantage two plays later by scoring fellow infielder Kelby Goodrum. Fletcher polished off the three-score W in the 6^th once shortstop Layna Johnson stole her sixth base of the year to get to second, bumping up the lead on a base hit.

- Meanwhile, Greene's move to a personal record of 5-0 correlated nicely with Presbyterian's set of four doubles, responsible for the game's final three outs on two K's and a groundball that rolled back to her in the circle.
 
GAME 2 – PC (10-0) def. Western Carolina (2-2), 6-5
- WCU threatened to spoil PC's cheerful day by making things a little too close for comfort in the top of the 7^th, nearly forcing the Blue Hose back on the defensive by cutting a 6-3 hole down to a single run (not to mention harboring a runner on second and third). Rookie reliever Peyton Duncan filled in for Morgan Hess at the pitcher's spot to take care of the danger at hand, forcing the Catamounts to three infield swings to hold on to the one-run W.

- An early three-run burst from coach Williams' squad kept WCU playing catchup through the duration of the contest, kickstarted by a Ciara Hanson double that skirted the rightfield line allowed Owens to round the diamond.

- The visitors punched back, however, in the top of the 4^th frame with a similarly-styled play on the opposite side of the field that brought home three separate runners to suddenly even the odds at a trio.

- Once again, it was Hanson who proved to be a thorn in Catamount pitcher Taylor Norton's side, collecting the third RBI of her debut year in Clinton while switching between the DP slot and catcher. This time, the second-year transfer broke the tie on a left-center single that scored Hess which in turn brought about another lengthy scoring spree in the 5^th.

- Pinch runner Kennedy Rhue hoisted the lead to a deuce on a fielder's choice groundball, providing an avenue for first-time starter Blair Darby (who manned the third-base spot) to complete the trifecta in the inning with an RBI-single.

- Advancing to 3-0 behind five strikeouts and four hits given up, Hess took the W while handing the reigns to Duncan for the save, the first time since game #3 of the season that PC opted to go to the bullpen in order to finalize the win.

- Presbyterian has gotten the better of the Catamounts in five out of the last six meetings following the sweep, including each of the last four to take place in the Palmetto State.
 
UP NEXT
- As the team's season-long home stretch comes to a close without a single blemish, the Blue Hose will turn right around and hit the road for the first time this calendar over the weekend for another multi-team tournament, this one hosted by Stetson in DeLand, Florida.

- Things will start off breezy for PC on Friday by only needing one matchup to insert itself into the fray, taking on Cornell at 3:00 p.m. The next day will see a pair of matchups versus North Florida and the hosting Hatters, before finishing the five-game series on Sunday for round two with both the Big Red and Stetson.