BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball will travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on Western Carolina in its first Southern Conference series of the 2013 season.

The Apps will play a double-header on Saturday, Mar. 9 and a single game on Sunday, Mar. 10. Game one of the double-header is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

Appalachian enters its first Southern Conference series with a 3-7 overall record after competing in the Florida State Renegade Classic. The Apps took their first two games of the tournament, picking up wins over Troy and Southern Miss, but were unable to defeat No. 25 Florida State. App State went 2-3 at the Renegade Classic as they added a win over Troy, split with Southern Miss and dropped a pair to No. 25 Florida State.

Lindsay Loudermilk, who boasts a .387 batting average, ranking her fifth in the SoCon, leads the Mountaineers. The junior's .472 on-base percentage ranks her fifth in the conference, while she has also tallied 12 hits and nine RBI for a .484 slugging percentage.

Loudermilk's six-game hitting streak was snapped against Southern Miss, while Sarah Warnock's seven-game hitting streak was also snapped against the Golden Eagles. Warnock leads Appalachian with 13 hits on the season and seven runs scored.

Allie Cashion rounds out the top-three for the Mountaineers offensively, as she boasts a .316 batting average, but did not play in the final four games of the Renegade Classic due to injury.

Loudermilk and Warnock led Appalachian at the Renegade Classic as they each tallied six hits, while Loudermilk had five RBI and Warnock knocked in two.

Sophomore Ashley Seering and freshman Ellie Manriquez each recorded their first career hits for the Black and Gold at the Renegade Classic, while Whitney Johnson posted her first hit of the season. Seering tallied four hits on the weekend with two doubles, one homerun and one RBI, while Manriquez drove a hit past the shortstop to advance the runners on a pinch-hit.

Six players on the App State roster have started all 10 games, while three are hitting .300 or better on the season.

Freshman Shivaun Landeros (2-2) earned her second victory of the season as she tossed a complete game against Southern Miss, while allowing only one earned run. Sophomore pitcher Alissa Schoelkopf (1-4) picked up her first victory as she tallied her second complete game of the season, recording eight strikeouts and allowing only two hits.

Schoelkopf ranks fifth in the conference as she has kept her opponents to a .211 batting average and is eighth with eight strikeouts looking on the season.

Appalachian currently has a .244 batting average, while keeping opponents to a .234 batting average. The Mountaineers have out-hit opponent 66-63 this season and boast a .361 on-base percentage compared to a .357 on-base percentage held by opponents. The Apps are 2-0 when leading after six innings and 1-1 when leading after innings one through five.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS

Western Carolina is 6-11 overall on the season and will play its first Southern Conference game on Saturday. The Catamounts are on a three-game losing streak after going 1-5 at the Coastal Carolina Tournament last weekend.

WCU dropped two games to Wichita State, 8-5 and 4-0, while also suffering losses to Albany, Drexel and Coastal. The Cats only win came against Drexel as they defeated the Dragons, 3-2.

Offensively, senior Shemekia Scotton, who has posted a .349 batting average with 15 hits and 14 RBI, leads Western Carolina. Scotton's .581 slugging percentage ranks her tenth in the SoCon, while her 11 runs scored ranks her sixth in the conference.

Junior Amelia Griffin leads the Catamounts in hits with 19, tying for eighth in the SoCon. WCU currently has four starters who have a batting average over .300 and at least 10 hits. Seven players on the Catamount roster have posted over 10 hits on the season.

Freshman Taylor Sigmon rounds out the top three offensively, as she boasts a .313 batting average with 15 hits, including four doubles and eight runs.

Sophomore Jordan Garrett leads the Catamount pitching staff, as she has earned four of its six wins. Garrett has made 13 appearances, pitching 64.2 innings with 90 strikeouts, which currently leads the conference.

Also seeing time in the circle is freshman Mallory Broome who posts a 1-3 overall record with nine appearances. Broome has pitched 27.0 innings with 33 strikeouts and has thrown two complete games.

Senior Amber Steinhardt has recorded one win in the circle, while also ranking fourth on the team with a .304 batting average, while starting 15 games this season. Steinhardt has 14 hits with two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored.

The Catamounts have seen their struggles at the plate, striking out 101 times on the season with 11 players striking out five or more times. Western Carolina is out-hitting opponents 115-111 and has posted a .257 batting average, while keeping opponents to a .253 batting average.

SERIES HISTORY

This is the 25th meeting between the Mountaineers and the Catamounts, with Appalachian leading the all-time series 19-5 over Western Carolina, including a three-game sweep last season.

The Apps took game one as they defeated the Catamounts, 6-5. Meghan Smith led App State as she went 3-for-3 at the plate, while Warnock went 2-for-3.

In game two of the series the Apps won 7-3 in eight innings, while Cashion posted a career-high five RBI. The Mountaineers capped off the sweep in game three as they had a six-run sixth inning, winning, 9-3. Smith tallied three RBI in the final game, while Dani Heichen had two. The Catamounts out-hit the Apps 10-7 in game three.

The Mountaineers have not dropped a game to WCU since April 9, 2011 when they fell 4-0 in game one of the three-game series, but came back to win the next two contests.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Appalachian State will play its final two games of its 15-game road stretch when they travel to North Charleston, S.C. to take on Charleston Southern in a double-header. Game one is slated to start at 1 p.m.