GREENVILLE, NC Cristen Aona hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to snap a 2-all tie and UNC Greensboro's seventh-inning rally fell as run short as East Carolina took the first game of a doubleheader against the Spartans on Wednesday, 4-3. The Pirates completed the doubleheader sweep with a 9-0 win in five innings in game two.
Trailing 4-2 entering the seventh in game one, UNCG (19-26) took advantage of some shoddy ECU defense to make it interesting. After Pirates pitcher Toni Paisley (27-7) struck out the first two batters, UNCG's Leslie Furness a Greenville native reached on an error to keep the game going. Emily Akiyama drew a two-out walk, and pinch-hitter Whitney Sirois reached on another ECU error, which allowed pinch-runner Kayla Hensley to score from second.
With runners at first and second and two outs, Paisley got Brittany Ausley to foul out to end the game.
The Pirates (36-12) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the contest, scoring in the first and third innings. Angel Barrella drew a leadoff walk in the first, and after moving to third on a sacrifice and an illegal pitch, she came in on a UNCG error with two outs. Barrella was also the catalyst in the third inning, doubling to right center to lead off, moving to third on a sacrifice and taking home on a double steal.
The Spartans tied things in the top of fourth. Ausley drew a leadoff walk, and two outs later, Alex Emeterio doubled to left field to bring her in. Lyndsay Mouse followed with another double to left to score Emeterio and knot things at 2.
East Carolina went back on top in the fifth, as Aona's homer to left scored Charina Sumner and made it a 4-2 game.
Paisley allowed just three hits, and was perfect the first time through UNCG's order. Ausley's walk broke up the perfect game, and Emeterio's double two outs later broke up Paisley's no-hit bid. Two of the runs against Paisley were earned.
Hannah Angel fell to 11-11 on the season for UNCG, as she allowed four runs - three earned - on five hits and four walks.
Barrella was 2-for-3 to lead all hitters in the game.
Game two saw the Pirates again get on the board in the first inning, as Aona's infield single scored Barrella, who walked to lead off the inning.
ECU pushed its lead to 4-0 with three runs in the third, getting a bases-loaded walk from Marina Gusman-Brown and a two-run single from Sarah Bibee with two outs. The runs were unearned after Jillian Gallagher reached on an error to lead off the inning.
The Pirates put the game out of reach with a five-run fourth, with Aona, Gusman-Brown, Bibee and Kaui Tom all coming up with RBI.
The Spartans seemed to get off to a promising start in the game, as Ausley led off with a single up the middle. One out later, ECU pitcher Brooke Swann induced a double play to escape with no damage done.
UNCG threatened in the third, getting a one-out walk from Kristen Gabel, who then stole second with two outs. Whitney Miller reached on an ECU error to put runners at the corners, but Swann got a groundout to end the threat.
Emeterio was stranded at third in the fourth after a leadoff double, and the Spartans were unable to get anything going in the fifth as the game ended via the mercy rule.
Aside from Ausley's single and Emeterio's double, Mary Catherine Vercoe had UNCG's only other hit in the game, and infield single in the second.
Amber Harrell fell to 5-11 on the season with the loss, as she was charged with all nine runs, although just three were earned. She gave up seven hits and four walks in 3.1 innings of work, striking out seven. Cory Mattson got the final two outs of the fourth, allowing a walk and striking out two.
Swann improved to 7-1 on the season, allowing just three hits and a walk in five innings of work.
Sumner, Aona and Bibee had two hits each.
UNCG returns to Southern Conference play this weekend, when it will host College of Charleston for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
AGATE
East Carolina 4, UNC Greensboro 3 (Apr 22, 2009 at Greenville, N.C.) (Game 1)
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UNC Greensboro...... 000 200 1 - 3 3 1 (19-25)
East Carolina....... 101 020 X - 4 5 2 (35-12)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel and Leslie Furness. East Carolina - Toni Paisley and
Tiffany Shaw.
Win-Toni Paisley(27-7) Loss-Hannah Angel(11-11) T-1:58 A-102
HR ECU - Cristen Aona.
Weather: 63 Degrees, Cloudy, WNW 20 mph
Game: UNCG4221
East Carolina 9, UNC Greensboro 0 (Apr 22, 2009 at Greenville, N.C.) (Game 2)
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UNC Greensboro...... 000 00 - 0 3 2 (19-26)
East Carolina....... 103 5X - 9 7 2 (36-12)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell; Cory Mattson(4) and Whitney Sirois. East Carolina -
Brooke Swann and Tiffany Shaw; Sarah Bibee.
Win-Brooke Swann(7-1) Loss-Amber Harrell(5-11) T-1:32 A-102
Weather: 63 Degrees, Sunny, W 20 mph
Game: UNCG4222
