UNCG to host App State this weekend; game times changed

Katie Stripling

Game 1
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Appalachian State (17-18, 10-5)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	0
UNCG (18-24, 6-8)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
@ Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Field

Pitching
Win: Caitlin Wainright (3-4) - Appalachian State
Loss: Cory Mattson (9-11) - UNCG

Appalachian State Batting
2B: Katie Boyd; Michelle Lighton
3B: none
HR: none

UNCG Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none

full stats

Game 2
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Appalachian State (17-19, 10-6)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
UNCG (19-24, 7-8)	0	2	1	0	1	0	X	4	7	2
@ Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Field

Pitching
Win: Cory Mattson (10-11) - UNCG
Loss: Louise Gibson (5-6) - Appalachian State

Appalachian State Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none

UNCG Batting
2B: Eileen Horsmon
3B: none
HR: Kaitlin Merkt

full stats

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Appalachian State (16-18, 9-5)	2	0	3	0	1	0	0	6	9	0
UNCG (18-23, 6-7)	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	6	1
@ Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Field

Pitching
Win: Hannah Dow (8-4) - Appalachian State
Loss: Josie Felix (5-11) - UNCG

Appalachian State Batting
2B: Katie Boyd; Allie Cashion; Michelle Lighton
3B: none
HR: Allie Cashion

UNCG Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none

full stats

UNCG (18-22, 6-6 SoCon) vs. Appalachian State (15-18, 8-5 SoCon), April 16-17, UNCG Softball Stadium

LiveStats: UNCGSpartans.com
Video: Spartan All Access (Sunday only)

Storylines

• UNCG will get back into Southern Conference play this weekend when it hosts Appalachian State for a three-game series. Due to the threat of inclement weather Saturday, the teams will play a single game at 5 p.m. that day, followed by a Sunday doubleheader starting at noon.

• Saturday will serve as UNCG's Pack the Park Pink day, when fans will be encouraged to wear pink and donations will be collected for Relay for Life.

• The first 50 fans in attendance Saturday will get a free pink T-shirt. There will be an autograph session with the UNCG softball team after Sunday's contests.

• App sits third in the SoCon standings at 8-5 in the league, while UNCG is tied for fourth at 6-6.

• The Spartans enter play this weekend coming off of a split with North Carolina on Wednesday. UNCG led in both contests and picked up a 5-2 win in game two for its first win over the Tar Heels since 2002. The win was pitcher Cory Mattson's second this season over an Atlantic Coast Conference team, as she also no-hit then-No. 23 Florida State to open the season on Feb. 11. As a league, the SoCon is 2-13 against the ACC, with both of those wins belonging to the Spartans.

• Heather Robb had an RBI single, Eileen Horsmon had a two-run single and Katelyn Bedwell had a two-run double in the first inning of UNCG's win over the Tar Heels. Senior Katie Stripling hit her first home run of the season in game one, a solo shot in the fifth to put the Spartans up 1-0. UNC rallied for the 4-1 win.

• Appalachian State dropped a 7-0 decision at No. 6 Tennessee on Wednesday. The Mountaineers committed five errors on the day, leading to just one of the Lady Vols' runs being earned.

• Junior Jordan Jewett leads the team with a .362 average on the season with a SoCon-best 10 doubles. Kaitlin Merkt is second on the squad with a .339 mark and leads the team with eight homers and 28 RBI. Alex Emeterio is batting .333 on the year and Bedwell is hitting .315. Aisha Figueroa is second in the SoCon with 18 stolen bases.

• In the circle, Cory Mattson is 9-10 with a 4.19 ERA and a career-best three saves and has won five of her last seven decisions. She needs just one more win to match the career high she set last season. Freshman Josie Felix is 5-10 with a 4.70 ERA, while sophomore Raeanne Hanks is 4-2 with a 7.07 ERA. Emeterio has made six appearances but has yet to register a decision. She has a 9.33 ERA but is allowing opposing batters to hit just .263, the best mark on the staff.

• UNCG trails the all-time series to App, 16-12, but took two of three from the Mountaineers in Boone, N.C., last season. The teams split a doubleheader on April 10, 2010, with Appalachian State scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 win in game one before UNCG took a 4-2 win in 8 innings in game two. The Spartans claimed the season series with a 3-1 win the following day, highlighted by Heather Robb's solo home run.

• Appalachian State has rebounded nicely after a 1-9 start to the season, having gone 14-8 since then. The Mountaineers dropped their first SoCon series of the season to Georgia Southern, but swept defending SoCon tournament champion Elon the following week. The Apps have had a pair of league series marred by poor weather, having single games against Chattanooga and College of Charleston canceled. The Lady Mocs handed the Apps a pair of run-rule losses on March 27, while Appalachian State swept a doubleheader from the Cougars on April 3. In its latest SoCon series, App took two of three from Western Carolina last weekend.

• Meghan Smith leads the Apps and is second in the SoCon with a .408 batting average. She and Allie Cashion (.348 average) have hit five home runs each and share the team lead with 30 RBI, while Katie Boyd has a .344 average, leads the team with seven homers and is second in the league with 35 runs scored. Boyd shares the SoCon lead with 21 walks in just 33 games.

• Reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Week Hannah Dow leads App in the circle with a 7-4 mark and a 2.30 ERA. Louise Gibson is 5-5 with a 3.67 ERA, while Caitlin Wainright is 2-4 with a 3.20 mark. Despite starting just three games, Frannie Seader is 1-5 with a 3.96 ERA. As a staff, App's 3.17 ERA is third in the SoCon.

Saturday, April 16
UNCG vs. Appalachian State, 5 p.m. (Pack the Park Pink)

Sunday, April 17
UNCG vs. Appalachian State, 12 p.m. (Spartan All Access)
UNCG vs. Appalachian State, 2 p.m. (Spartan All Access)

- UNCG -