Spartans Drop a Pair to North Carolina State
GREENSBORO, NC ? North Carolina State used a three-run home run in the seventh inning from Miranda Ervin to take a 7-1 victory over UNC Greensboro in softball doubleheader action at UNCG Softball Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The Wolfpack took an 11-1 win in the night cap to claim the doubleheader sweep.
NC State (31-16) got on the board first in game one with a run in the top of the third inning. UNCG pitcher Vanessa Oakes walked left fielder Meghan Dalthorp to put a runner on base. She advanced to second with a sacrifice bunt from Laura Klem and was plated on an error by UNCG catcher Whitney Sirois.
NC State used a three-run inning to extend their lead to 4-0 in the top of the sixth inning. The Wolfpack had a leadoff single from pitcher Abbie Sims. The Pack followed that with a double from Dalthorp which advanced Sims to third base. Klem loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch and a RBI single from Heather Gelbard plated Sims. Gelbard and Klem crossed home plate with an RBI single from Jen Chamberlain two batters later.
The Pack added three more runs on four hits in the sixth inning to push their lead to 7-0. Wolfpack pitcher Abbie Sims had a no-hitter going through the seventh inning but UNCG third baseman Kara Clouser hit a bomb over the right field wall to give UNCG (21-27) their only run of the game and cut the lead to 7-1.
Oakes suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on 10 hits. She issued four walks and had two strikeouts on the afternoon. Clouser led the Spartans from the plate by going 3-for-1 with one run scored.
In the nightcap the Wolfpack again got on the scoreboard first with a run in the first inning. Gelbard opened the inning with a leadoff single through right field. Krystal Hawkins, who was pinch running for Gelbard, stole second base and was plated with a single from Allison Presnell.
The Spartans responded with a run in the bottom of the second inning.
Lyndsey Wilson hit a single through the right side and Brandi Schnute followed with a double which brought Wilson around the bases. That was as close as the Spartans would get as NC State tallied 10 more runs to take the game by a score of 11-1.
Amber Harrell suffered the loss after allowing 11 runs on 11 hits in 6.0 innings of work. Hannah Angel pitched 1.0 innings in relief and allowed no runs.
Wilson led the Spartans from the plate going 1-for-1 while freshman Emily Akiyama tallied her first collegiate hit in the nightcap.
The Spartans are next in action April 14-15 when they head to Cullowhee, NC to take on Southern Conference rival, Western Carolina. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday.
Western Carolina Falls to No. 24 Georgia Tech 7-1
ATLANTA, Ga. ? Western Carolina softball (18-25) fell 7-1 to No. 24 Georgia Tech (37-13) Thursday at Glenn Field.
After two scoreless innings, Georgia Tech got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Jennifer Yee led off the inning with a double to centerfield. She moved to third thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Whitney Haller and scored off an RBI single by Savannah Brown. The Yellow Jackets plated their second run of the inning when Caitlin Lever hit and RBI double to score Brown.
Three hits in the top of the fifth inning equaled one run for the Catamounts. Mendy McKenzie beat out a slap hit to the pitcher to start the inning. Senior Nikki Bost followed with a frozen rope to center field to put runners at second and third. Sophomore Stephanie Beatty connected on her third hit of the game to score McKenzie and Bost was waved home to attempt to tie the game but was thrown out at home.
Georgia Tech posted three runs in bottom of the sixth inning. Haller led off the inning by drawing a walk and Brown followed with a single to left field. Caitlin Lever hit a single to left field that scored Haller and Lever moved to second off a Catamount miscue. Brittney Barnes grounded out to the shortstop Heather Pritchard and Haller scored on the play. The Yellow Jackets scored their third run of the inning on a single up the middle by Blair Schimandle which plated Lever. Stephanie Butler hit Georgia Tech’s fourth hit of the inning and the Yellow Jackets attempted to score a fourth run but Schimandle was thrown out at home.
McKenzie started the game and went five innings for the Catamounts, galling to 7-13 on the season. She allowed five runs on 10 hits and struck out three.
Lauren Ross took the mound in the sixth inning. She allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one.
The Catamounts had eight hits in the game and had a base runner on in every inning of the game. Beatty was 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI and extends her hitting streak to 15 games.
Western Carolina returns to action this weekend hosting Southern Conference foe UNC-Greensboro. The Catamounts’ doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday and the single game is at 1 p.m. Sunday. The club will honor seniors Nikki Bost and Ashley Adams between games on Saturday.