SUMMERVILLE, SC – The UNC Greensboro softball team dropped its first two games of the day, before coming up with a 6-1 victory over Charleston Southern on Saturday in second day action at the Charleston Southern Tournament at Gahagan Park. The Spartans lost 8-0 to Kennesaw State and 6-1 to St. Bonaventure.
Senior Kelly Allen connected for a grand slam home run in the first inning against the host Bucs. Gwen Johnson later added a solo shot for the Spartans. Freshman Hannah Angel went the distance to improve her record to 2-3 on the season.
Kennesaw State's Kelley Cowart led off the first game of the day with a towering solo home run to centerfield. Two batters later, Cambria McKay drilled a line drive shot over the fence in left center for a 2-0 Owls lead.
UNCG (5-9) threatened in the second by getting runners on second and third with two outs, but Heather Branche popped up to second base to end the rally for the Spartans.
Cowart stuck again in the fourth with an RBI single to left and then in the fifth, she blasted two-run homer for a 5-0 lead. McKay then followed with another two-run blast to left center to cap a four-run fifth for KSU. That knocked UNCG starter Vanessa Oakes from the ballgame.
Oakes (2-3) suffered the loss after giving up seven runs (four earned) on six hits over 5.0 plus innings of work. Jennifer Bonilla and Kelly Allen each went 1-for-3 with a single for the Spartans.
Brittany Matthews picked up the victory by working 6.0 innings and allowing just two singles, a walk and struck out five. Cowart went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, while McKay was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI.
In the second game of the day, Anna Nagro gave St. Bonavenure a 1-0 lead with a double to left center in the third. Lauren Kreiger followed with a two-run single to put the Bonnies ahead 3-0.
SBU would add four more runs in the sixth inning to go up 7-0. Kreiger's two RBI double was the key hit in the inning for the Bonnies. Brianna Bricker picked up the victory, allowing one run on six hits.
Danielle Byrne suffered the loss for UNCG, allowing three runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings of work. Krista Judge went 2-for-4 for the Spartans. Lyndsay Mouse drove in Leslie Furness with a single in the seventh to account for the UNCG run.
The Spartans, the eighth seed in the tournament after finishing 2-2 in pool play, will take on the top-seeded Iowa State club on Sunday at 10 am.
AGATE
Line Score 123 456 7 R-H-E
Kennesaw St. 200 104 1 8-7-0
UNCG 000 000 0 0-2-5
KSU: Brittany Matthews, Andrea Moss (7) and Cambria McKay. UNCG: Vanessa Oakes, Hannah Angel (6) and Leslie Furness.
W: Matthews L: Oakes (2-3). SV: None.
Line Score 123 456 7 R-H-E
UNCG 000 000 1 1-6-3
SBU 003 004 0 7-9-1
UNCG: Danielle Byrne, Vanessa Oakes (4) and Leslie Furness SBU: Brianna Bricker and Anna Nagro
W: Bricker. L: Byrne (1-3). SV: None.
Line Score 123 456 7 R-H-E
CSU 000 000 1 1 6 0
UNCG 401 010 X 6 10 2
CSU: NOBLE, A. UNCG: Hannah Angel
W: Angel. L: NOBLE
- UNCG -
