UNCG Softball Takes Two From ETSU to Open SoCon Play
GREENSBORO, N.C.– The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team has now won seven-straight games after taking two victories against Southern Conference (SoCon) foe ETSU on Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Spartans won 2-1 in eight innings and then dominated in a 14-1 win in five innings.
Four of the seven games have been run-rule victories.
The seven-game win streak is the first this season and longest streak since the Spartans won nine games last season between March 20 and April 3.
The Spartans improve to 21-12 overall and 2-0 in the SoCon.
Game 1: UNCG 2 – ETSU 1 (8 innings)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Maddie Spell, in her 10th start of the season, retired 13-straight batters from the first to the fifth innings.
In a pitcher’s duel, ETSU strung together three hits for one run in the top of the seventh. Following a leadoff single and a stolen base, Riley Nayadley advanced to third on Makenzie Henderson’s single up the middle. Jasmine Sanchez then drove the ball out to center field for the first run of the game.
On an 11-pitch at-bat, Brooklynn Maxwell crushed the ball over the right center wall for her first home run of the season to tie the game at one.
ETSU threatened in the top of the eighth loading the bases with two outs, but the side was retired on a fielder’s choice.
UNCG mirrored the Bucs’ inning and loaded the bases with one out. Grace Loftin then picked the first pitch and hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ashley Gontram for the game-winning run.
NOTES:
Maxwell went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
She hit her ninth home run of her career.
Blayke Batten and Loftin each had a hit.
Spell threw her sixth complete game as a Spartan allowing seven hits with one earned run and struck out four batters.
PITCHING RECORDS
Maddie Spell: W, 5-4
Brianna Bailey: L, 5-6
Game 2: UNCG 14 – ETSU 1 (5 innings)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Delaney Cumbie homered in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 advantage. UNCG doubled the score in the bottom of the second on Loftin’s RBI double to left center, scoring Maxwell from third, 2-0.
Jessie Shipley crushed the Spartans’ second home run of the game in the bottom of the third, driving in Samantha Lagrama for her seventh homer of the season and 14th of her career, 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, UNCG scored 10 runs off three hits, six walks, and one hit-by-pitch. One of the three hits included Loftin’s fourth home run of the season. Her blast was a three-run shot to center field. Meredith Harwood followed with her first-collegiate hit and home run to left field in the fourth.
ETSU’s Muir hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 14-1, before Rhyann Jones earned her seventh win of the season retiring the side with a ground out back to the circle.
NOTES:
Loftin hit her 15th homer of her career.
Jones tossed her fourth complete game giving up just five hits in 5.0 innings of work, one earned run, and two strikeouts.
Maxwell went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and two RBI.
Loftin also went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Shipley went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Harwood went 1-for-2 with one run scored and two RBI.
The 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth were the most runs since 10 runs in the fourth against Mercer, winning 19-1, on March 27, 2022.
The 14 runs in the game matched the season high, where the Spartans scored 14 against Gardner-Webb in a 14-4 win on March 18, 2023.
PITCHING RECORDS
Rhyann Jones: W, 7-1
Sara Muir: L, 1-4
ON DECK
The Spartans conclude their nine-match home stand tomorrow, Sunday, March 26 with their final game of the three-game series against SoCon foe ETSU. This will also be the Spartans’ Alumni Weekend. Sign up here to RSVP.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro