GREENSBORO, NC UNC Greensboro junior Amber Harrell struck out nine batters in game two to become just the fourth pitcher in school history to reach 400 career strikeouts as the Spartans swept a doubleheader from Liberty on Wednesday, 2-1 and 3-1.
Freshmen Alex Emeterio and Jordan Jewett had three hits each in the sweep, while Lyndsay Mouse had two hits and scored two runs in game two.
Harrell (6-12), who entered play Wednesday with 396 strikeouts to her credit, wasted little time reaching the milestone, striking out two batters in both the first and second innings of the 3-1 game two win. She whiffed the Flames' Danielle Howard swinging to end the top of the second inning to achieve the historic mark and move into fourth in UNCG history in career Ks. She passed Christine Hornak, who had 399 from 1997-98.
Harrell allowed just an earned run on four hits and two walks in picking up the win, and benefitted from stellar defense behind her all day. After hitting a batter with two outs in the third inning, junior catcher Whitney Sirois caught Cassie Hendrix trying to steal second to end the inning. Harrell also helped her own cause in the top of the fourth, starting a 1-6-3 double play to negate a leadoff walk.
Liberty senior Sarah Ellis (11-21), Harrell's counterpart, also turned in a dominant performance, allowing just three runs on five hits and no walks in six innings. After allowing a one-out triple to Mouse in the bottom of the first, Ellis retired 15 straight Spartan batters. The first in that string, however, was an RBI groundout by Jewett, staking Harrell to an early 1-0 lead.
The Flames (19-33) tied the contest in the top of the sixth, as J'nae Jefferson reached on a passed ball after striking out. Kelly Strickland followed with a double to deep right center to score Jefferson and tie the game at 1.
The Spartans (21-29) quickly answered in the bottom half, as sophomore Katie Stripling, making her first start of the season in the field, singled sharply through the left side with one out to stop Ellis' streak of dominance. Stripling was erased on a fielder's choice, but Mouse followed with a double down the left field line to plate Brittany Ausley with the go-ahead run.
Jewett hustled out an infield hit to keep the inning alive, and Mouse never stopped running from second, scoring an insurance run that would give the Spartans a bit of peace of mind in the top of the seventh.
Liberty's first two batters reached to lead off the inning, as Amber DePasquale singled off Harrell's glove and Howard was hit by a pitch. Harrell struck out Jenna Eatmon looking for out No. 1, and DePasquale was erased at third on a fielder's choice. Fittingly, Harrell then struck out Hendrix to end the game.
Mouse was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple in the game, scoring a run and driving in another. Jewett was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Game one's performance was just as impressive for the Spartans, as senior Hannah Angel allowed just one run on four hits and a walk in evening her record at 12-12. Her 12th win matched her career high, set last season.
Emeterio and Jewett were the heroes at the plate in game one, as the rookie duo combined to go 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
With two outs in the third inning, Emeterio singled to left to score Ausley, who reached on an infield single, to put the Spartans up 1-0.
The Flames answered quickly, knotting things at 1 in the fourth. After Angel was perfect through three innings, Hendrix dropped in a bloop single behind second for Liberty's first hit of the day to lead off the fourth. Hendrix stole second to get into scoring position, and was able to score on Jefferson's bunt single.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the fifth, when Jewett got things going with a two-out single up the middle. Emeterio followed with a double to right center, scoring Jewett with what would prove to be the winning run.
Angel got a little help from batterymate Leslie Furness to make the lead stand, as Furness gunned down Jefferson trying to steal to end the sixth inning. Angel then worked around a one-out single in the seventh with Mouse making an outstanding snag on a sharp line drive to her left for the second out to nail down the win and snap UNCG's seven-game losing streak.
Tiffani Smith (8-12) took the loss for Liberty, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. She struck out eight.
Hendrix was 2-for-3 with a run for the Flames, while Jefferson and Beth Bennett had Liberty's other two hits. Jewett was 2-for-2 with a run and Emeterio was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Ausley, Angel and Kayla Hensley accounted for UNCG's other three hits.
The Spartans conclude a seven-game homestand with a doubleheader against Virginia Tech on Thursday at 5 p.m. The contests are the final home games of the season for UNCG, which heads up Interstate 40 to take on Elon for a three-game set this weekend to end the regular season.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 2, Liberty 1 (Apr 29, 2009 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 1)
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Liberty............. 000 100 0 - 1 4 0 (19-32)
UNC Greensboro...... 001 010 X - 2 7 0 (20-29)
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Pitchers: Liberty - Tiffani Smith and Keely McMillon. UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel and
Leslie Furness.
Win-Hannah Angel(12-12) Loss-Tiffani Smith(8-12) T-1:35 A-0
Weather: 78 degrees and cloudy
Game: UNCG4291
UNC Greensboro 3, Liberty 1 (Apr 29, 2009 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 2)
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Liberty............. 000 001 0 - 1 4 0 (19-33)
UNC Greensboro...... 100 002 X - 3 5 0 (21-29)
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Pitchers: Liberty - Sarah Ellis and Keely McMillon. UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell and
Whitney Sirois.
Win-Amber Harrell(6-12) Loss-Sarah Ellis(11-21) T-1:29 A-74
Weather: 77 degrees and mostly cloudy
Game: UNCG4292
