UNCG 3, Charlotte 2
Charlotte 7, UNCG 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Kristen Gabel knocked in all three runs as UNCG picked up a walk-off 3-2 win over Charlotte in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader, but the 49ers rallied past the Spartans to claim a 7-2 win in game two to salvage the split.
UNCG (9-11) took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning in game one, but Charlotte (9-10) got a two-out, two-run home run from Briana Gwaltney to tie the game at 2.
The Spartans played some small ball to win it in the bottom half, with Jordan Jewett getting hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before Toni MacReynolds singled up the middle. An Ally Johnson sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out before the 49ers elected to intentionally walk Eileen Horsmon.
Gabel came up with the bases loaded and the game on the line and delivered, laying down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Jewett from third with the winning run.
The teams were locked in a pitchers' duel until the Spartans finally broke through in the fifth. After MacReynolds doubled off the wall in right center, Horsmon reached on a fielder's choice, while pinch-runner Cory Mattson took third on the play. Gabel followed with a double to straightaway center just out of the reach of Whitney Williams, and Mattson and Horsmon came in for the first runs of the day for either side.
Mattson (4-7), who took a one-hitter into the fifth, allowed two runs on four hits. She worked around seven walks, getting some timely defensive gems behind her. Left fielder April Langley doubled a runner off second in the fourth inning and made an outstanding running grab in foul ground in the seventh. Shortstop Kaitlin Merkt also had a nice play in the seventh, making an outstanding stop deep in the hole and firing over to first for the out.
MacReynolds turned in her third straight multi-hit game for the Spartans, going 2-for-3. Gabel was 1-for-2 with three RBI.
Charlotte starter Katy Hackett took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Spartans took a 2-0 lead in game two, as well, but saw the 49ers rally for the win.
After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, UNCG got on the board in the second on Heather Robb's solo home run. The Spartans made it a 2-0 game in the third on Jewett's RBI double to the gap in right center.
The 49ers answered with five runs in the third, taking advantage of six walks and just two hits. A Lorena Vela double brought in Charlotte's first run, and back-to-back-to-back walks forced in two more. Kalie Lang's two-run single knocked UNCG starter Josie Felix from the game, and reliever Raeanne Hanks walked the first batter she faced before getting a strikeout to end the inning.
Trailing for the first time on the day, UNCG threatened in the bottom half of the frame, but again left the bases loaded. Walks by Alex Emeterio and Jewett put runners on first and second and Katelyn Bedwell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Charlotte then went to the bullpen for game one starter Hackett, who struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
Charlotte added two more in the sixth on an RBI single by Kendra McCall and an RBI groundout by Tenaya Tucker.
Katie Watkins (1-4) picked up her first win of the season, allowing two runs on six hits and seven walks. Hackett earned her first save of the season, working 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Felix (3-3) took the loss, allowing five runs on two hits and eight walks in 4 2/3 innings. The game featured a combined 18 walks.
Horsmon and Robb had two hits each to pace the Spartans.
UNCG returns to action on Saturday, March 19, when it opens Southern Conference play with a doubleheader against College of Charleston at the UNCG Softball Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Mercer 6, Georgia Southern 1
STATESBORO, Ga. - A torrential downpour put an end to Georgia Southern's game against Mercer on Wednesday, March 9th, with the Eagles down 6-1. The rains came with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Georgia Southern's offensive output came from Shelby Morrill's solo home run off the right field foul pole in the fifth inning.
In the second inning, Mercer took advantage of a pair of Georgia Southern fielding miscues to score two runs. The Bears posted two more in the third inning off a pair of bases-loaded walks by starting pitcher Megen Smith.
Georgia Southern sprang to life when Morrill scored her first career home run on a towering shot that hit the right field foul pole. The long-ball carried through the strong winds that were blowing straight in from right field. Junior Mackenzie Williams reached on a fielding error by the Mercer third baseman, but pinch runner Nicole Benton would be unable to score after being moved over on a sacrifice bunt.
Mercer tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth inning as Smith was replaced by SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year, Brianna Streetmon. Smith left the game throwing five and a third innings and allowing six runs, three earned off five hits. She struck out four Mercer batters and threw 107 pitches in the outing.
Streetmon tossed a three-up-three down seventh frame, but the rain moved in as the Eagle's Tabby Douberley saw the first pitch of her at bat. The rain intensified rapidly and the tarp was moved onto the field. The game was called and all statistics reverted to the previous completed inning.
Mercer's Kari Chambers pitched through the final inning to earn the victory and improve to 6-4 while Smith was dealt the loss to fall to 0-3.
Georgia Southern will play host to Mount St. Marys for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. on Thursday (March 10th) afternoon.
Charleston Southern 7, Furman 5
Charleston Southern 10, Furman 5
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern registered 21 hits and took advantage of six Furman errors to sweep the Paladins 7-5, 10-5 in non-conference softball action on Wednesday afternoon at Buccaneer Field.
The sweep dropped the Paladins to 4-12 on the season while Charleston Southern improved to 10-11.
In the opener, Kristin Kelleher snapped a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double to plate Ari Tedesco. Two batters latter, Jessica Brock delivered an RBI double two score Kelleher and reliever Kimberly Hobbs (7-4) retired the Paladins in the seventh to hand the Lady Bucs a 7-5 win.
After the Lady Bucs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first, Lauren Collier laced a two-out, two run double to right-center to put Furman ahead 2-1 in the third. Charleston Southern regained the lead with four runs in the bottom of the frame on two Furman errors and just two hits.
Trailing 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning, Emily Boyer led off with a single, Nikki Legg walked and Stephanie Field lined a single to left to load the bases with nobody out. Stephanie Spain singled to drive in Boyer and chase starter Morgan Dowdy. A pass ball allowed Legg to score and tie the game at 5-5 before Hobbs retired the side and set up Kelleher's heroics in the bottom of the sixth.
Hobbs tossed two scoreless innings allowing just one hit to earn the victory. Brock went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Megan Lombard collected two hits and scored a pair of runs to pace the Lady Bucs.
Collier (2-8) surrendered seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits to take the loss for Furman. She drove in two runs while Katie Michaels and Boyer collected two hits apiece for the Paladins.
In game two, Charleston Southern hammered out 10 hits, including five extra base hits, to rout Furman 10-5.
After Furman opened up a 4-0 lead on Collier's solo homer in the first and Spain's three-run double in the second, the Lady Bucs rallied for two runs in the bottom of the second and six in the third inning to pull ahead. Lombard and Erin Kegley each delivered RBI singles to put Charleston Southern on the board in the second. In the third inning, Lombard belted a two-run double into the gap before Kegley lined a two-run homer off of reliever Lauren Collier to cap the six-run outburst.
Dowdy entered the game in relief of Hobbs and worked four scoreless innings to improve to 3-7 in the circle. She scattered two hits and fanned two without issuing a walk.
Kegley went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Lombard notched two hits and batted in three.
Furman starter Kayla Suskauer (2-4) took the loss allowing six runs on five hits in 2.2 innings of work. She walked three batters and hit two while recording two strikeouts. Spain finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and Field added two doubles in the loss.
Furman returns home to open Southern Conference play on Saturday afternoon when it hosts Western Carolina in a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The Paladins and Catamounts cap the three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.