JACKSONVILLE, FL The UNC Greensboro softball team dropped two games in the second day of action at the Best Western/Jacksonville University Tournament. UNCG fell to Minnesota, 8-1 and dropped a close 2-1 game to Coastal Carolina to conclude the day.
Katie Stripling, Whitney Sirois and Lyndsay Mouse each tallied two hits on the afternoon for UNCG (1-3). The Spartans found some offense and tallied 12 hits on the day, compared to only six hits in opening day action. Freshman Stripling was 2-for-2 in the second contest to pace the Spartans offensive efforts while catcher Whitney Sirois was 2-for-3.
All three Spartans pitchers saw time in the circle today. Amber Harrell (1-1) played her second compete game of the season against Coastal Carolina. The McDonough, GA native twirled 6.2 innings of work and allowed two runs on three hits. She walked eight and had five strikeouts.
Coastal got on the board in the second inning. Harrell walked their leadoff hitter, who then stole second base and rounded the bases when Britney Birnbaum singled giving the Chanticleers a 1-0 lead. The Spartans tied things up in the top of the fifth inning Whitney Sirois singled up the middle and Laura Olenderski, who was pinch running, stole second base and was driven home when Kristen Gabel singled down the middle.
Coastal Carolina had the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh inning. Laicole Walker was hit by a pitch placing her on first base and she advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt. She moved to third on the next play and scored on a UNCG passed ball giving Coastal Carolina the, 2-1 win.
Offensively, Minnesota jumped ahead early in the first game and never looked back, using a four-run fourth inning en route to a 8-1 win. Colleen Powers drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single in the second. The Gophers' four-run fourth was keyed by freshman shortstop Brianna Sudenga, who followed an Amber Nelson leadoff walk with a double to center field. A bunt single by Powers brought home Nelson with the first run of the game, and Neal then put the Gophers up 2-0 with an RBI single. Minnesota's other two runs would score on a Fernandez sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.
The Spartans did manage to get on the board in the sixth inning with a run from Mary Greenway. The Roanoke, VA native singles and then picked up her third stolen base of the season when she stole second. Greenway advanced to third base with a single to center field from Mouse and came home when Brittany Ausley grounded out to first base.
The Gophers tacked on three more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, all of them coming with two outs. Hannah Angel and Mary Catherine Vercoe saw action in the circle for the Spartans. Angel (1-1) tossed four innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. She tallied two strikeouts and walked two. Vercoe pitched two innings of relief action and allowed three runs on two hits. She walked three and had one strikeout on the afternoon.
UNCG concludes action in Florida tomorrow morning when they take on Coastal Carolina. First pitch is set for 11:15 am at JU Softball Stadium.
AGATE:
Game One
UNC Greensboro...... 000 001 0 - 1 6 1
Minnesota........... 010 403 X - 8 9 0
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel; MaryCatherine Vercoe(5). Minnesota - Hassett.
E-Miller. LOB-UNCG 6, MINN 6. 2B-Ausley, Sudenga. HR-Neal. HBP-Hernandez. SH-Gabel. SF-Fernandez.
SB-Greenway, Mouse 2; Stripling; Conway; Powers, CS-Davis
Win-Hassett(3-0) Loss-Hannah Angel(1-1) T- A-143
HR MINN - Neal.
Game Two
UNC Greensboro...... 000 010 0 - 1 6 0
Coastal Carolina.... 010 000 1 - 2 3 0
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell. Coastal Carolina - EVANS, M; FREDERICK, A(6).
LOB-UNCG, 4 Coastal 9. HBP-Walker, L. SH-Hensley; Birnbaum (2). SB-Olenderski; Gabel; Riffel (2), CS-Stripling
Win-FREDERICK, A(1-2) Loss-Amber Harrell(1-1) T-1:55 A-96
- UNCG -
