CHARLOTTE, NC – Brittany Ausley, Leslie Furness and Emily Akiyama all hit home runs in game one and UNC Greensboro pounded out 14 hits in the rematch later in the afternoon as the Spartans topped Army 4-1 and 10-2 Saturday to reach the championship game of the Green and White Classic.
The Spartans (6-3) will face host Charlotte (3-1) at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the title game.
In game one against the Black Knights (0-4), Furness' leadoff home run in the top of the second put the Spartans up 1-0. Army answered with a solo shot of its own in the bottom half of the frame, as Cassie Ellington took UNCG starter Cory Mattson out to center field to tie things at two.
The Spartans got the go-ahead run in the top of the fifth inning, when Alex Emeterio's single to right scored Ausley.
Akiyama and Ausley added solo shots in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, as the Spartans won their fourth straight.
Hannah Angel (4-0) picked up the win in relief, as she came on in the third and limited the Black Knights to just one hit and a walk in five innings. She retired the first nine batters she faced in order before allowing a leadoff walk in the sixth. Alexis AuBuchon singled to lead off the seventh, but Angel struck out the next two batters before getting a groundout to end the game. Angel finished with seven strikeouts.
Furness and Emeterio both went 2-for-3 for the Spartans. Three different Army players accounted for their three hits on the afternoon.
Bonnie DeAntona (0-1) took the loss after surrendering three earned runs on four hits and two walks in four innings of relief.
Later in the day, UNCG would run-rule the Black Knights, as Kayla Hensley's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth pushed the Spartans' advantage to eight runs. UNCG scored three runs each in the second, third and fifth innings and added a single run in the fourth.
Army drew first blood in the contest, scoring a pair of unearned runs in a first inning in which the Spartans committed three errors. Clara Navarro earned a leadoff walk, and Rachel Duval reached on an error that allowed Navarro to advance to third. After Duval stole second, Navarro and Duval scored on a failed pickoff attempt and another Spartan error. UNCG would commit a third error in the inning, but avoided further damage when Amber Harrell struck out Ellington swinging to end the threat.
UNCG hit four doubles in the second inning to plate a trio of runs, with Akiyama leading off with a two-bagger. One out later, Kristen Gabel brought her in with a double, and after a Laura Olenderski sacrifice moved Gabel to third, Ausley's double brought Gabel in to tie the score. Lyndsay Mouse followed with yet another double to plate Ausley with the go-ahead run.
The Spartans added three more runs in the third, with Whitney Miller and Gabel picking up an RBI apiece, and Furness' sacrifice fly in the fourth scored Mouse to make it 7-2.
UNCG would put the game out of reach in the fifth, getting four hits – three with two outs – to end the game early. Ausley and Emeterio scored on an Army error before Hensley's hit scored Furness to put the mercy rule into effect.
Harrell (2-2) won her second straight game, allowing just two hits – both to the Black Knights' Elaine Plato – and one walk in five innings. Harrell struck out seven.
Jessi Muckelroy (0-2) took the loss, as she allowed three earned runs on five hits in 1.2 innings.
Ausley was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored in the game, while Mouse, Emeterio, Whitney Sirois and Akiyama all had two hits each.
The Spartans ran their win streak to five games, and a win over the 49ers on Sunday would give UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig, a Charlotte alumna, her first career tournament title.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 4, Army 1 (Feb 14, 2009 at Charlotte, N.C.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 010 011 1 - 4 6 0 (5-3)
Army................ 010 000 0 - 1 3 1 (0-3)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson; Hannah Angel(3). Army - Jessi Muckelroy;
Bonnie DeAntona(4).
Win-Hannah Angel(4-0) Loss-Bonnie DeAntona(0-1) T-1:39 A-50
HR UNCG - Brittany Ausley; Leslie Furness; Emily Akiyama.
HR ARMY - Cassie Ellington.
Weather: 55 degrees, partly sunny
UNC Greensboro 10, Army 2 (Feb 14, 2009 at Charlotte, N.C.)
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Army................ 200 00 - 2 2 3 (0-4)
UNC Greensboro...... 033 13 - 10 14 3 (6-3)
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Pitchers: Army - Jessi Muckelroy; Shawna Bleyl(2); Bonnie DeAntona(5). UNC Greensboro -
Amber Harrell.
Win-Amber Harrell(2-2) Loss-Jessi Muckelroy(0-2) T-1:31 A-75
Weather: Sunny, 55 degrees
- UNCG -
