SUMMERVILLE, SC – The UNC Greensboro softball team lost 4-2 to top-seeded Iowa State on Sunday in the final day of the Charleston Southern Tournament at Gahagan Park. The eighth-seeded Spartans finish the tournament with a 3-3 record.

The Cyclones (8-6) struck first with four unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning. UNCG nearly worked around a lead-off error when left fielder Krista Judge threw out a runner at the plate for the second out of the frame, but Katie Reichling followed with a run scoring single up the middle. Two batters later, Beth Tharp plated another runner with a double down the left field line. After a walk, Jennifer Bigbee doubled over the head of Judge to score two more to make it a 4-0 game.

Senior center fielder Gwen Johnson almost single handedly tied the game up for UNCG. She blasted a two-run home run to left in the fourth to cut the Spartans deficit in half. After junior Jennifer Bonilla singled, Johnson came to the dish as the tying run in the sixth and lined a shot off the top of the fence in left center for a double. With runners on second and third, freshman Stephanie Talarek flew out to center to end the threat.

Iowa State tried to tack on an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth, but a beautiful relay by right fielder Heather Branche and second baseman Adriane Audley gunned down pinch-runner Whitney Perkins at the plate. Perkins was attempting to score from first on a double to the gap by Jessica Quade.

UNCG starter Hannah Angel (2-4) was the tough luck loser after allowing four unearned runs in the first inning. Junior righty Vanessa Oakes finished up for the Spartans and allowed only three hits and struck out seven hitters in 5.0 innings of dominant work.

Amie Ford posted the complete game victory for the Cyclones. She allowed two runs on five hits and struck out 10 hitters.

The Spartans take the next couple days off before taking part in the Winthrop Tournament beginning Friday in Rock Hill, SC. UNCG will face Ohio at 2pm and then Pittsburgh at 4 pm.

AGATE
Line Score       123       456       7          R-H-E
UNCG               000       200       0          2-5-1
Iowa State         400       000       0          4-7-0

UNCG: Hannah Angel, Vanessa Oakes (2) and Leslie Furness.  ISU: Amie Ford and Ashley Killeen
W: Ford. L: Angel (2-4). SV: None.

- UNCG -