GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro's Jennifer Bonilla hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UNCG (4-5) a 3-2 win over Ohio in the final game of the 2007 UNCG Spartan Softball Classic. The Spartans concluded the weekend with a 3-1 record.
Freshman Amber Harrell earned the win for the Spartans, working 8.0 innings and allowing only two runs on nine hits. She struck out eight batters in her first complete game of the season.
“This was a great weekend for us,“ head coach Jennifer Herzig said. “We set the goal to go 3-1 on the weekend and we did, which was great. We did some really good things this weekend and I'm pleased with the way that we played.”
The teams were scoreless heading into the bottom of the third inning when UNCG designated player Adriane Audley hit a one-run homer to give the Spartans the early 1-0 lead.
The Spartans held on to their lead until the seventh inning when Ohio was able to tie the game at 1-1. Ohio's Debbie Szalejko hit a triple and teammate Alicia Catlette drove her in with a RBI single.
UNCG had a chance to win the game in the seventh inning when senior third baseman Kara Clouser singled to get on base and Mary Greenway reached on a Bobcat error. UNCG was able to load the bases when Bobcat pitcher Michelle Sauter walked Audley but Lyndsay Mouse couldn't find a hit in the next at bat and the Spartans left three stranded on base.
Ohio opened the eighth inning with Courtney Waters on second base due to international tie-breaker rules. The Bobcats were able to get a runner across home plate when Waters came home on a single by teammate Kristen Salvatore in the Bobcats next at bat. Ohio ended the inning when Amanda Sacks popped up to centerfield.
Down a run, the Spartans placed Mouse on second base per international tie-breaker rules. In the first at bat of the inning Leslie Furness grounded out to the first baseman and advanced Mouse to third base on the play. Bonilla stepped up next and crushed the ball right over the left field wall to give UNCG a two-run home run and the ball game.
In the early game Kent State defeated Morehead State 4-2 to conclude the 2007 Spartan Softball Classic with a 4-0 record.
Morehead State struck first when Melody Ross hit a two-run home run which brought teammate Brandy Bucher around the bases. Kent State cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Morehead State pitcher Kari Quinn walked the first two batters and a batter reach base on a fielder's choice. First baseman Jamie Fitzpatrick scored when teammate Lauren Ellis had a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Kent State sealed the win in the bottom of the third when lead-off batter Brittney Robinson singled and teammate Corey Houk tripled to drive in Robinson. Houk was able to round the bases herself in the next at bat when Jessica Toocheck singled down the right field line.
The Golden Flashes got an insurance run in the fifth inning when they scored on a Morehead State miscue by the leftfielder.
Kent State's Brittany Robinson got the win allowing two runs on two hits in 7.0 innings of work. She walked two and had 13 strikeouts. Morehead State fell to 1-3 on the season and pitcher Kari Quinn fell to 0-2 on the season.
The Spartans are next in action Tuesday when they head to Buies Creek, NC to take on Campbell in a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for 4 pm.
AGATE
GAME ONE
Morehead State 020 000 0 - 2 2 2 (1-3)
Kent State 012 010 X - 4 6 0 (4-0)
Pitchers: Morehead State - QUINN, Kari; FUNSTON, Sarah(5). Kent State - Brittney Robinson.
Win-Brittney Robinson(2-0) Loss-QUINN, Kari(0-2) T-2:26 A-115 HR MOR - ROSS, Melody.
E-Seiler, Honkofsky. LOB-MOR2; KSU 5 2B-Verde, M 3B-Houk, C HR- Ross SH-Robinson, B, SF-Ellis, L SB-Archual, L
GAME TWO
Ohio 000 000 11 - 2 9 2 (1-7)
UNCG 001 000 02 - 3 6 0 (4-5)
Pitchers: Ohio - ARMSTRONG, Natalie; SAUTER, Michelle(5). UNCG - Harrell,Amber.
Win-Harrell,Amber(1-0) Loss ARMSTRONG, Natalie T-1:59 A-175
ARMSTRONG faced 1 batter in the 5th.
E-Catlette; Sauter, DP-UNCG 1 LOB—Ohio 7, UNCG 8 3B-Szalejko. HR—Audley, Bonilla SB. Greenway
- UNCG -
