STATESBORO, GA Redshirt senior Hannah Angel twirled a one-hitter to make Whitney Miller's RBI fielder's choice in the third inning stand up as UNC Greensboro took the first game of a Southern Conference doubleheader against Georgia Southern on Saturday, 1-0. The Eagles rebounded to take game two by a 5-2 count to salvage the split.
Angel faced just four batters over the minimum, walking three and hitting one batter. Senior Leslie Furness caught pinch-runner Bethany Crenshaw stealing in the third inning.
Angel (11-9) carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, but Georgia Southern's Nine Iduate hit a leadoff single to center for the lone safety of the day for the Eagles.
The Spartans (19-23, 7-7 SoCon) got the only run they would need in the third, when Miller's bases-loaded fielder's choice brought in Alex Emeterio. Emeterio drew a one-out walk, Mary Catherine Vercoe reached on an error and Lyndsay Mouse singled to left to bring up Miller. The junior delivered with her fourth RBI in the last two games to put UNCG on top, and Angel did the rest.
Brianna Streetmon (12-6) took the loss for Georgia Southern (21-19, 10-7) despite scattering five hits. She walked two and struck out five.
The Spartans started the game with consecutive singles off Streetmon, but the GSU ace struck out the next two batters and induced a liner to third from Mouse to escape trouble.
UNCG also got threatened to score in the second inning, as Emily Akiyama reached on an error, and took advantage of two wild pitches to move to third. A Laura Olenderski walk put runners on the corners with two outs, but Streetmon again worked out of trouble, getting a foulout to first to end the inning.
The one-hitter was the third of Angel's career, two of which have come this season. Angel also one-hit UNC Wilmington on Feb. 13.
Game two saw the Spartans jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first, as Jordan Jewett scored on Mouse's RBI single, but the Eagles grabbed the lead on a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Marie Fogle in the bottom of the fourth.
UNCG got a run back in the top of the sixth, when Vercoe's two-out double to left center scored Emeterio to make it a one-run game. Mouse reached on an infield single to third to put runners at the corners, but GSU starter Kristan Glover got Miller to ground out to third to escape further damage.
The Eagles scored a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half of the frame, as Hanna Ennis and Mackenzie Williams greeted UNCG reliever Amber Harrell with a walk and single, respectively, to bring Fogle back to the plate with runners on. Fogle delivered yet again, driving a double to left center to score both.
Fogle was 2-for-4 in the game and had all five RBI for the Eagles. Ennis was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while Robyne Siliga, who entered the doubleheader leading the SoCon in hitting with a .398 average, went 2-for-3 after going hitless in the opener.
Glover improved to 6-3 on the season, allowing two runs on just three hits and three walks. She struck out five.
Freshman Cory Mattson took the loss for UNCG, falling to 3-4 on the season after allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings.
Mouse had two of the Spartans' three hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The teams will square off again at 1 p.m. Sunday to decide the three-game series.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 1, Georgia Southern 0 (Apr 18, 2009 at Statesboro, Ga.) (Game 1)
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UNC Greensboro...... 001 000 0 - 1 5 0 (19-22, 7-6 SoCon)
Georgia Southern.... 000 000 0 - 0 1 2 (20-19, 9-7 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel and Leslie Furness. Georgia Southern - Brianna Streetmon
and Jenny Side.
Win-Hannah Angel(11-9) Loss-Brianna Streetmon(12-6) T-1:50 A-101
Weather: Clear, 64 degrees
Game: UNCG4181
Georgia Southern 5, UNC Greensboro 2 (Apr 18, 2009 at Statesboro, Ga.) (Game 2)
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UNC Greensboro...... 100 001 0 - 2 3 1 (19-23, 7-7 SoCon)
Georgia Southern.... 000 302 X - 5 10 0 (21-19, 10-7 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson; Amber Harrell(6) and Whitney Sirois.
Georgia Southern - Kristan Glover and Mackenzie Williams.
Win-Kristan Glover(6-3) Loss-Cory Mattson(3-4) T-1:40 A-113
Game: UNCG4182