Georgia Southern's softball  team swept Western Carolina, 5-1 and 3-2, in a Southern Conference doubleheader Saturday at Eagle Field.
    GSU (16-10, 5-0) will play Western Carolina (9-15, 0-2) at 1 p.m. today.
    “It’s always great to get league wins,” GSU head coach Annie Smith said. “Our pitchers are continuing to improve and that’s what we want this time of year. I’m so happy for Shelby getting that hit. We’ve got a lot of great hitters and it’s a shame that we’ve only got nine slots in the lineup.”

    Game 1
    In the bottom of the first inning, GSU turned a leadoff walk into a run with the help of a throwing error by Western Carolina's pitcher. Another walk with the bases loaded and two outs gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead after the opening inning.
    The Catamounts clawed back in the third, working a leadoff single in for a run to cut the score to 2-1.
    In the fifth, GSU added two more runs. Savanah Coon drove a double to left with two outs, scoring Marie Fogle from third base. On the next play, Kourtny Thomas hit what looked to be an inning-ending grounder to short. The ball was fielded cleanly, but a bad throw allowed Coon to score from second and put the Eagles up, 4-1.
    GSU freshman Lexi Allen made her first career start in the right field, and posted two hits from three chances along with a pair of stolen bases. In the sixth inning, Allen scored GSU’s fifth run off Fogle's triple, which took a strange carom off the fence down the left field line.
    GSU pitcher Sarah Purvis posted her eighth win of the season. She went the distance, allowing one run while striking out the first eight batters of the game. Purvis finished with 10 strikeouts.

    Game 2
    The Eagles broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second by taking advantage of a pair of Catamount errors with two outs.
    GSU's Tabby Douberley grounded to second base but an errant throw bounced off the Eagles' dugout and into right field, allowing Coon to scamper home from first base for a 1-0 lead.
    Fogle added to the lead in the fifth with her second triple of the day. Her hit allowed Alexa Lewis to score on the play  and give GSU a 2-0 lead.
    Western Carolina mustered a pair of runs to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning by taking advantage of a GSU throwing error. The wild throw put runners on second and third as Kelly Bramen’s single to right field drove in two runs. It was Bramen's  third hit from as many trips to the plate in the game.
    The single forced a GSU pitching change. Allie Miles was replaced by Brooke Red. The Catamounts put runners on the corners before Red got out of the jam. Miles allowed four hits over 5 1/3 innings and struck out five.
    GSU's Shelby Morrill delivered a pinch-hit double with a runner on second for a 3-2 lead. The ball hit off the base of the wall, allowing pinch runner Breanna McLendon to easily score.
    GSU's Red mowed through the Catamount batters in the seventh inning for her sixth win with no losses.