CHARLOTTE, NC – Senior Hannah Angel threw a one-hitter as UNC Greensboro topped UNC Wilmington 4-0 on Friday to open play at the Green and White Classic, then scored the winning run as a pinch-runner as UNCG downed tournament host Charlotte 3-2 in eight innings later in the day.
Freshman Jordan Jewett went a combined 5-for-7 with her first two career multiple-hit games, while classmate Alex Emeterio hit her first career home run in the win over the Seahawks as the Spartans (4-3) earned a first-day sweep at the tournament.
With the score tied at 2 after seven innings against the 49ers (1-1), Whitney Sirois was placed at second base via the international tiebreaker rule to start the eighth. Angel came in to pinch-run for Sirois, and Jewett laid down a textbook bunt single to move her over. Charlotte third baseman Lorena Vela overthrew first trying to get Jewett, and Angel came around with the go-ahead run.
UNCG junior Amber Harrell (1-2) worked a 1-2-3 eighth to lock up her first win of the season.
In game one, Angel allowed just a one-out single in the first inning against UNCW (1-2) in throwing her second straight shutout and improving to 3-0 on the season. After Katie Houmard struck out swinging to lead off the game, Jesse Gunter singled to left center. That would be the last UNCW hit of the contest, however, as Angel allowed just three walks the rest of the way. She retired the side in order in the second, third and seventh innings.
The Spartans got on the board in the bottom of the second, working a little two-out magic. After Seahawks starter Amanda Aditays got a groundout and a strikeout to lead off the inning, Kristen Gabel and Leslie Furness hit back-to-back doubles to bring in Gabel with UNCG's first run. Jewett followed with a single to center, and Brittany Ausley brought in Furness with another double – the Spartans' fourth straight hit.
Emeterio's blast to lead off the third knocked Aditays (0-2) from the game, and the Spartans added another run in the fourth when Emeterio's bases-loaded walk brought in Jewett.
Gabel, Furness and Jewett – UNCG's 7, 8 and 9 hitters – all went 2-for-3 in the game.
Angel struck out six and lowered her ERA on the season to 1.30.
Aditays surrendered three runs on six hits in two innings of work.
In game two, the Spartans struck quickly against Charlotte, getting a sacrifice fly from Mary Catherine Vercoe to plate Ausley in the top of the first. Lyndsay Mouse's RBI double in the fourth scored Jewett to put UNCG up 2-0, and Harrell was rolling, allowing just four base-runners through the first five innings.
The 49ers would even the score in the sixth, however, taking advantage of a UNCG defensive miscue for their only runs of the game. Whitney Williams reached on an error by third baseman Whitney Miller to lead off the inning, and Serena Smith followed her with a home run to knot the score. Harrell would avoid further damage, however, allowing just a lone walk the rest of the game.
For the Spartans, game two of the afternoon was nearly a lesson in missed opportunities. UNCG left 13 runners on base – at least one in every inning but the seventh – and left the bases loaded twice.
UNCG got back-to-back one-out singles from Sirois and Jewett and a walk from Ausley in the top of the second, but Charlotte starter Emily Jeffery struck out the next two batters to escape unscathed.
The Spartans loaded the bases again in the sixth inning, but Jeffery induced a lineout from Kaitlin Merkt to end that threat, as well.
Jewett finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored, while seven other Spartans accounted for UNCG's other seven hits. Smith was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for the 49ers. Tenaya Tucker had Charlotte's only other hit on the afternoon with her leadoff single in the fifth.
Harrell struck out seven and allowed just one earned run on three hits and three walks in eight solid innings. Jeffery fell to 0-1, allowing three runs – two earned – on 10 walks and four hits. She struck out nine in eight innings of work.
The Spartans will take on Army at 10:30 a.m. Saturday before pool play of the Green and White Classic begins in the afternoon.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 4, UNC Wilmington 0 (Feb 13, 2009 at Charlotte, N.C.)
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UNC Wilmington...... 000 000 0 - 0 1 0 (1-2)
UNC Greensboro...... 021 100 X - 4 10 1 (3-3)
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Pitchers: UNC Wilmington - Amanda Aditays; Jennifer Ladd(3). UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel.
Win-Hannah Angel(3-0) Loss-Amanda Aditays(0-2) T-1:31 A-75
HR UNCG - Alex Emeterio.
Weather: Sunny, 60 degrees
Aditays faced 1 batter in the 3rd.
UNC Greensboro 3, Charlotte 2 (Feb 13, 2009 at Charlotte, N.C.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 100 100 01 - 3 10 1 (4-3)
Charlotte........... 000 002 00 - 2 3 2 (1-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell. Charlotte - Emily Jeffery.
Win-Amber Harrell(1-2) Loss-Emily Jeffery(0-1) T-2:03 A-100
HR CHA - Serena Smith.
Weather: Cloudy, 55 degrees
- UNCG -
