GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s softball team completed its first sweep over Greensboro College in school history Wednesday with a pair of wins at Pride Field at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Greensboro. Ashley Boteler’s two-run homer in the ninth sent the Quakers to a 4-2 win in the opening game. Boteler earned the win in game two, a 5-3, Guilford triumph.
Jessica Burcham (Lexington, N.C./South Davidson) (8-4) kept Greensboro (13-11) in check in the opener with 13 strikeouts over nine innings, both of which stand second in school history. After Ami Hutcherson’s (Staley, N.C./Eastern Randolph) two-run single in the fifth gave the Quakers a 2-0 lead, Greensboro tied the game with unearned runs in the fifth and seventh innings.
Despite having a runner placed on second after the seventh inning per tie-breaking rules, neither team scored until Boteler blasted her team-leading second homer of the year. Greensboro had runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the inning, but Burcham fanned pinch-hitter Reilhe Kash and induced Kanisha Fogg into a game-ending groundout.
Hutcherson and fellow senior Courtney Kozar paced the Quakers’ 11-hit attack with three hits apiece.
The Quakers jumped on Greensboro starter Brittany David for three runs in the first inning of game two on RBI hits by Hutcherson, Sarah Cutright and Julie Langseth. The Pride turned to Hannah Pennell, who settled the Quakers’ bats and allowed just two unearned runs the rest of the way.
Greensboro’s Heather Nellis hit a two-out solo homer in the fourth and Cyndel Henson plated two with a single in the fifth to draw the Pride within 5-3. Brittany Evans and pinch-hitter Jessica Childers led off the seventh with singles off of Boteler (4-2), which brought Burcham into the game for the Quakers. She fanned Fogg and got Henson and Brittany Teer to pop up to the catcher, ending the game.
Hutcherson had another three hits for Guilford and went six-for-eight with three RBI on the afternoon. Kozar, Cutright, Langseth and Brittany Donathan (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) all had two hits for the Quakers.
Nellis and Evans paced the Pride with two hits apiece.
Guilford hosts Sweet Briar College Saturday (3/26) in the Quakers’ annual Score for the Cure games for the benefit of cancer research. First pitch at Haworth Field is 2:00 p.m.
Guilford 4, Greensboro 2 (Mar 23, 2011 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Guilford............ 000 020 002 - 4 11 3 (14-11) Greensboro.......... 000 010 100 - 2 4 1 (13-10) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Guilford - Jessica Burcham and Morgan Andrews. Greensboro - Kelsey Sanfilippo; Hannah Pennell(9) and Brittany Parsons. Win-Jessica Burcham(8-4) Loss-Kelsey Sanfilippo(5-3) T-2:20 A-97 HR GC - Ashley Boteler. Weather: sunny, 77 Guilford 5, Greensboro 3 (Mar 23, 2011 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Guilford............ 310 010 0 - 5 13 0 (15-11) Greensboro.......... 000 120 0 - 3 9 3 (13-11) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Guilford - Ashley Boteler; Jessica Burcham(7) and Morgan Andrews. Greensboro - Brittany David; Hannah Pennell(2) and Brittany Parsons. Win-Ashley Boteler(4-2) Save-Jessica Burcham(1) Loss-Hannah Pennell T-2:20 A-98 HR GBRO - Heather Nellis. Weather: partly cloudy, 75, breezy David faced 2 batters in the 2nd. Boteler faced 2 batters in the 7th. Game: GCS-26