February 10, 2013
Lindsay Thomas Powers Softball to Perfect Opening Weekend
Box score (PDF)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Freshman Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Ca./Northwood) homered for the third-straight game to help UNCG softball finish a perfect 3-0 after defeating George Mason, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at the Charleston Southern Tournament. The Spartans won the tournament with two wins against George Mason and a victory against Charleston Southern.
UNCG (3-0) is off its best start since the 2004 season when the Spartans open 5-0. Lindsay Thomas finished the game 2-for-2 with the eventual game-winning home run. Thomas batted .500 (4-for-8) on the weekend with three home runs and four RBI.
Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) earned the victory after throwing four innings, allowing just two earned runs on four hits with one strikeout. Hanks improves to 2-0 on the season.
Junior Aisha Figueroa (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) and sophomore Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) each finished the game with two hits. Figueroa also scored two runs, while Alcala scored one.
Senior Eileen Horsmon (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) finished the weekend with a solid .444 batting average on four hits, including a double.
In the top of the first, Figueroa roped a leadoff single to left field. Figueroa stole second base for her second steal of the weekend. Alcala laid down a perfect bunt single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Alcala stole her first base of the season to set up runners at second and third. After two outs, Thomas worked a walk to load the bases. Horsmon hit a shot to second base that was bobbled leading to both runs coming across for the Spartans.
George Mason responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Julia Czarnecki walked and advanced to second base after an illegal pitch followed by Lauren McColgan reaching on an error to score Czarnecki. Brooke Blankenship worked a walk to put runners on first and second. Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) induced two groundouts but catcher Angela Maioran tied the game with a two-out RBI single up the middle.
The Patriots took the lead in the bottom of the third after a one-out RBI double from Megan Blank to right center. Alcala made a heads up play in centerfield to get Blank out after rounding second base too far. Hanks would get out of the jam with two-straight groundouts to keep the game at 3-2.
UNCG would answer with a huge three-run fifth inning sparked by a two-run go ahead home run from Thomas. Figueroa started the inning with another infield single. After an error put runners on first and third, freshman Danielle Vega Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) brought home Figueroa on a fielder's choice to tie the game at 3-3.
George Mason cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth after the Patriots worked two-straight walks to open the frame. McColgan moved the runners to second and third with just one out. Brooke Blankenship hit a shot to center that Alcala tracked down for the second out but one run was able to score on the sacrifice fly. Freshman pitcher Nicole Thomas (Irvine, Ca./Northwood) ended the threat after getting Casey Price to foul out to third.
Freshman Kelly Lupton (Galloway, N.J./Absegami) closed the game with an easy 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh. Lupton had two strikeouts to earn her first career save.
Be sure to follow all updates about the UNCG softball season on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports/@UNCGsoftball.
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