UNCG-GSU Game One UNCG-GSU Game Two
Greensboro, NC – The UNC Greensboro softball team split a pair of extra inning games with Georgia Southern, Saturday afternoon, at Campus Field. An eighth inning sacrifice fly by Jennifer Hubbard allowed Vanessa Oakes to score the game-winning run for UNC Greensboro in the first game of the SoCon doubleheader, while a Logan Free home run in the top of the ninth gave the Eagles the 3-2 win in game two.
In game one, the Eagles (25-24, 7-7 Southern Conference) got on the board in the second inning as Lindsay Jones singled to center field and advanced to second on a passed ball. Katie Roberts then singled, advancing Jones to third. Jones would score on the play on a Spartan throwing error, giving GSU the early 1-0 lead.
UNC Greensboro (28-24, 6-8 Southern Conference) would even things up in the bottom of the second as Jennifer Bonilla led off with a home run over the center field fence. The Spartans would take the lead in the bottom of the third with a Joni Gomez two-run round tripper, giving UNC Greensboro the 3-1 lead after three.
Georgia Southern responded in the top of the fifth inning. Kim Griffin opened with a double to right center and would score on a Maria Laurato single to center field. Jones' double to center field allowed Laurato to tie the game at 5-5 after five.
The Eagles would go up in the top of the seventh as Heather Smith connected on a two-run home run, scoring Jones, giving the Eagles a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Spartans put runners on first and second after back-to-back Eagle errors. Gomez's single to center field loaded the bases. A passed ball by GSU's Katie Roberts allowed Heather Branche to score the first unearned run of the inning. The next batter, Bonilla, hit a single to center field to score Montana, to send the game into extra innings, with the score tied at 5-5.
After three quick Eagle outs, UNC Greensboro opened with a Danielle Byrne single to center. Oakes entered the game as a pinch runner. A Kara Clouser sacrifice bunt advanced Oakes to second with Branche at the plate. Branche's singled sent Oakes to third. With one out, Hubbard sent a sacrifice fly ball to right field, allowing Oakes to tag third and score the game winning run, for the 6-5 victory.
Danielle Byrne earned the victory for UNCG going all eight innings, allowing four earned runs on 12 hits, striking out seven. Jennifer Bonilla led the Spartans offensive effort with three hits, while teammate Joni Gomez went 2-for-4.
Cary Moone took the loss for Georgia Southern, giving up four earned runs on eights hits. Offensively, Heather Smith paced the Eagles with two hits and two runs batted in.
Game two saw the Eagles score first in the top of the sixth as Griffin opened the inning with a home run over the center field fence, giving GSU the 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The Spartans answered back with a Gomez solo shot to center field, to tie the score at 1-1, sending the game to extra innings for the second time of the day.
GSU's Laurato hit her fifth home run of the season to center field to give the Eagles the 2-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, UNC Greensboro scored an unearned run as Steiner's attempt to pick off Gomez at third base resulted in her scoring the tying run.
In the top of the ninth, Logan Free connected on a home run to center field to give the Eagles the 3-2 win in nine innings.
Vanessa Oakes was saddled with the loss in game two despite allowing just three earned runs in nine innings of work. Gomez paced the Spartan attack in game two going 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Tiffany Urena earned the victory for Georgia Southern, as Logan Free worked the final two innings for the save. Shanita Black went 3-for-4 offensively for the Eagles.
The Eagles and Spartans will conclude the weekend series Sunday afternoon at Campus Field, beginning at 1:00 p.m.