UNCG Softball Bounces Back, Defeats Mercer in Doubleheader

UNCG Softball Bounces Back, Defeats Mercer in Doubleheader

MACON, Ga.– The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team reached the 30-win mark for the eighth time in the last 11 years after taking both games against the Mercer Bears on Saturday in Southern Conference (SoCon) play at Sikes Field. The Spartans won the first game of the doubleheader, 7-3, in nine innings, and defeated the Bears in game two, 7-4.

Head Coach Janelle Breneman has been with the Spartans for 11 seasons, and she has guided UNCG to all eight years of 30 or more wins.

UNCG is now 31-19 overall and 10-4 in the SoCon, while Mercer is 17-33 overall and 7-8 in the conference.

Game 1: UNCG 7 – Mercer 3 (9 inn.)

HOW IT HAPPENED
UNCG walked in the first run of the game in the top of the first after loading the bases.

After four scoreless innings for the Bears, Barton homered to left center with one out to tie the game at one in the bottom of the fifth.

The Spartans took back the lead, 3-1, in the top of the sixth, as Delaney Cumbie led off with a single to center field and Jorde Chartrand drove her in from second on a single to center field. Grace Loftin then hit a double to left field with one out for the second run of the inning.

Mercer tied the game a second time in the bottom of the seventh with Hall’s two-run double to left field for a score of 3-3.

Following a scoreless eighth inning, the Spartans put up four runs on four hits all with two outs in the top of the ninth for a 7-4 advantage. Maxwell singled to begin the rally, putting runners on first and second. Both Spartans advanced on back-to-back wild pitches, as Anna White dove home for the first run. Cumbie walked to continue the inning and Jessie Shipley singled to left driving in Maxwell. Chartrand hit her own RBI single, bringing home Cumbie and then Loftin tallied her second double of the game for the fourth run of the inning.

Rhyann Jones closed the game with three-straight outs for her 10th win in the circle and the Spartans’ 30th victory of the season.

NOTES:

Maxwell went 2-for-5 with one run scored.
Cumbie swung 1-for-3 at the plate with a game-best three runs scored and two walks.
Jorde Chartrand was another Spartan with a multi-hit game, swinging 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Grace Loftin went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, two doubles, and a walk.
Rhyann Jones tossed her seventh complete game with 9.0 innings of work.
She allowed three runs, two hits, and struck out four batters in her 10th win of the season.

PITCHING RECORDS

Rhyann Jones: W, 10-2

Riley Hickok: L, 1-4

Game 2: UNCG 7 – Mercer 4

HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer scored the first run in the bottom of the third as Hedgecock doubled down the left field line for a 1-0 lead. The advantage was short lived with UNCG’s Chartrand hitting a sacrifice fly to left field tying the game at one with Maxwell scoring in the top of the fourth.

With two outs and runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth, Maxwell took a 0-1 count and sent a ball over the center field wall giving UNCG a 4-1 advantage. This was her fourth homer of the season and 13th of her career.

In the bottom of the frame, the Bears scored three runs on two errors, tying the game at four.

Another scoreless inning passed, and the Spartans jumped on the opportunity to regain the lead in the seventh. Maddie Spell, in her 10th at bat of the season, cranked her first long ball of the season and fifth of her career to lead off the inning, 5-4. With Shipley on second and Maxwell on third, Chartrand hit a long single off the center field wall, easily scoring two Spartans for a three-run advantage, 7-4.

With Spell in the circle in the bottom of the seventh, she retired three of the four batters, only allowing Hall to double, to hold on to the win, 7-4.

NOTES:

Maxwell went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI.
Chartrand went 1-for-2 with three RBI.
Maddie Spell went 1-for-1 at the plate with one run scored and one RBI.
Spell also pitched two scoreless innings, giving up two hits.
This was the Spartans’ 17th multi-home run game of the season.

PITCHING RECORDS

Maddie Spell: W, 9-5

Grace Taylor: L, 11-17

ON DECK

The Spartans welcome the Charlotte 49ers for a contest on Tuesday, May 2 with a first pitch at 6:00 p.m. at UNCG Softball Stadium. This will be the final Bark in the Park game, presented by All Pets Considered.

Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro