KENNESAW, GA UNC Greensboro scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning for a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Kennesaw State in opening day action of the KSU Classic at the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex. Later in the afternoon, the Spartans once again rallied for a 9-8 victory over Toledo.

Trailing 3-1 against Kennesaw State heading to the last half of the seventh, freshman Lyndsay Mouse tied things up with a two-run single to right field with Mouse taking second on the throw in from the right fielder. After a strikeout, Heather Branche reached safely on an error by Owls reliever Andrea Moss, which brought Mouse around with the game-winning run. In the process, it gave first-year head coach Jennifer Herzig her initial victory at the helm of the Spartans.

KSU starter Lisa Lamb was cruising along until UNCG's Gwen Johnson homered to left-center field in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 3-1. In the seventh, Lamb allowed a one-out single to Jennifer Bonilla and Moss was summoned from the bullpen.

The Owls reliever fell victim to a bloop single to right by Johnson. A passed ball put both runners in scoring position before Mouse singled to right to tie the game at 3-3. Moss regrouped and struck out Kara Clouser for the second out. Branche then grounded a ball back to Moss in the circle that she could not field cleanly, booting the slow roller that allowed Mouse to score from second base with the winning run.

Keri McKee helped the Owls jump out to an early lead as she stroked a two-run home run over the right field fence in the first inning, giving the Owls a 2-0 lead. Kennesaw State (5-5) also added a run in the second inning and had a chance to crack the game wide open, but could not capitalize on a bases-loaded, nobody out situation.

Johnson went 2-for-2 with two runs scored for UNCG (2-7), while starter Hannah Angel (1-3) picked up her first collegiate victory by allowing three runs on eight hits and stuck out six batters.

The second game of the day proved to be just as exciting for the Spartans. UNCG trailed 8-6 heading to the seventh, but Johnson led off the top half of the inning with a triple and Kelly Allen knocked her in with a double. Lyndsey Wilson ran for Allen and scored the tying run four batters later on a two-out single by Mouse. Krista Judge immediately followed with an RBI infield single that scored Stephanie Talarek from third with what proved to be the winning run for the Spartans.

Toledo would not go quietly as the Rockets got their first two batters on, but Vanessa Oakes (1-2) worked out of the jam to garner her first win of the year. Oakes went the distance allowing eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and struck out seven hitters.

Johnson drilled her second homer of the day in the third inning with a three-run shot that gave UNCG a 4-2 lead. Mouse smacked a solo homer in the fourth for a 5-2 lead, but four runs by the Rockets in the fourth and two more in the fifth gave Toledo its 8-6 lead.

Johnson was the hitting star for UNCG by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. The Spartans early season hitting woes were put aside for at least this game as Judge, Adriane Audley, Bonilla, Talarek and Mouse each had two hits.

UNCG takes on Tennessee Tech tomorrow at 10 am to begin the second day of the KSU Classic. The Spartans will then play either at 2 or 4 pm. 

AGATE

Line Score       123       456       7          R-H-E

Kennesaw St.    210       000       0          3-8-1

UNCG               000       010       3          4-5-0

KSU: Lisa Lamb, Andrea Moss (7) and Cambria McKay.

UNCG: Hannah Angel and Leslie Furness.

W: Angel (1-3). L: Moss (0-1). SV: None.

Game 2            123       456       7          R-H-E

UNCG               103       110       3          9-14-3

Toledo               101       420       0          8-8-2

UNCG: Vanessa Oakes and Kelly Allen.

Toledo: Pereira and Hess

W: Oakes (1-2). L: Pereira (0-2). SV: None.