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Spartans gain Sunday split at Elon Softball Tourney
ELON, NC – UNC Greensboro settled for a
split in two games at the Elon Softball Invitational on Sunday with
a 8-0 win over Norfolk State and a 6-5 loss to tournament host
Elon.
The 8-0 win over Norfolk State was UNCG’s third shutout in
two days after defeating St. Francis (PA). 2-0 and Bucknell, 5-0 on
Saturday. Brittany Ausley had three hits in the two games on Sunday
with two runs scored, while Mary Greenway had two hits and four
runs scored.
Vanessa Oakes picked up the win in the shutout over Norfolk State,
striking out 10 and limiting the opposition just three hits. Oakes
did not walk a batter and improved her record to 3-1 on the season.
Jennifer Bonilla helped Oaks’ cause, driving in four
runs.
Leading 1-0 in the fifth, the Spartans struck for four runs in the
inning. Ausley led off when she reached on an error, but was forced
at second on Greenway’s grounder. Greenway stole second and
then scored on Adriane Audley’s double to right center. After
Leslie Furness singled to put two runners on, Bonilla ripped a
two-run double to center to make it 4-0. Bonilla came around to
score one batter later when Lyndsey Mouse tripled into the left
field corner.
The Spartans ended the game with three runs in the eight, two of
them coming on Bonilla’s two-run single.
In the nightcap, UNCG lost to Elon when the Phoenix pushed across
an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. Losing pitcher Amber
Harrell opened the hitting by hitting a batter. The next batter hit
a grounder to third that was misplayed to put runners at first and
second. Melanie Helterbran followed with a single to right to load
the bases. Harrell then struck out Brandi Jones for the first out
of the inning. But Jamie Rao lined a single through the right side
of the infield to plate the game-winner.
After Elon struck first in the bottom of the first, UNCG scored
three times in the third. Two of those came in the form of a
Lyndsey Wilson two-run single to center. The lead was extended to
4-1 in the fourth when Ausley doubled to left and came around one
batter later when a sacrifice bunt was misplayed.
Elon scored four times in the fifth to regain the lead before UNCG
tied it in the top of the sixth. Again, it was an Ausley double
that set the table. This time she moved to third on a sacrifice
bunt and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Audley.
Harrell, who came into the game in relief of Angel in the fifth and
pitched out of further damage, retired the Phoenix in order in the
sixth. But the two Spartan miscues to open the seventh proved to be
costly.
UNCG (12-9), which went 3-1 in the tournament and has now won seven
of its last nine, returns to action on Tuesday when it hits the
road to face Longwood in a doubleheader that is slated for 2
pm.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 8, Norfolk State 0
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Norfolk State....... 000 000 - 0 3
2 (0-8)
UNC Greensboro...... 100 043 - 8 10
0 (12-8)
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Pitchers: Norfolk State - VELAZQUEZ; SPRACKLIN(6) and TILLAR. UNC
Greensboro - Vanessa Oakes and Leslie Furness.
Win-Vanessa Oakes(3-1) Loss-VELAZQUEZ(0-4) T-2:40
A-29
Elon 6, UNC Greensboro 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Greensboro...... 003 101 0 - 5 8
3 (12-9)
Elon................ 100 040 1 - 6 8
4 (9-8)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel; Amber Harrell(5) and
Leslie Furness. Elon - SCHROEDER; LILLEY(4) and ZEIGLER.
Win-LILLEY(2-3) Loss-Amber Harrell(3-5) T-2:10
A-23
Angel faced 5 batters in the 5th.
- UNCG -
