GREENSBORO, NC Kaitlin Merkt's grand slam in the third inning turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead and junior Amber Harrell made it stand up as the Spartans beat Virginia Tech in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday, 5-3. The Hokies rebounded to take game two, 8-0 in five innings, to salvage the split.
Down 3-1 in the bottom of the third in game one, UNCG (22-30) rapped out three hits to take the lead. After freshman Jordan Jewett singled to lead off the inning, she was erased at second on a fielder's choice. Mary Catherine Vercoe singled up the middle to put runners at first and second, and Whitney Sirois was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Merkt, who was making just her second start since March 31.
The redshirt sophomore showed no signs of rust, sending the first pitch she saw from Virginia Tech starter Abbie Rexrode out to deep left center for her first career grand slam and team-best sixth home run of the season.
The two-run spread was more than enough for Harrell, who settled in after the third inning in picking up her second straight win. Harrell (7-12) allowed just three runs two earned on six hits and six walks, striking out eight. Harrell allowed just two hits and a pair of walks in the final four innings.
The Hokies (25-26) scored an unearned run in the first inning, as Erin Ota scored on a bases-loaded walk after reaching on an error with one out.
UNCG tied it in the bottom of the second. Sirois singled to center to lead off the inning and Merkt sacrificed her to second. A passed ball moved Sirois to third, and she came in to score on a wild pitch. Catcher Amber Walker's throw back to Rexrode beat Sirois to the plate, but Sirois made an outstanding slide to avoid the tag and knot the game at 1.
Virginia Tech quickly answered, as Charisse Mariconda singled to lead off the inning, then stole second. The Spartans caught her straying her too far off the bag between second and third and threw behind her, with Mariconda taking off toward third for the steal. But Sirois' throw went into center field, allowing Mariconda to come in with the go-ahead run. Whitney Davis followed with an RBI single to score Beth Walker.
Jenna Rhodes, who entered the day third in the nation with a .488 batting average, helped her cause with a 2-for-4 effort in game one for the Hokies. Jessica Everhart was 2-for-3, while Davis was 1-for-2 with two RBI.
For the Spartans, Vercoe was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Merkt was 1-for-2 with four RBI. Brittany Ausley, Lyndsay Mouse, Jewett and Sirois also had hits.
Rexrode took the loss, falling to 4-8 after allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.
The win was the first in UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig's career against an Atlantic Coast Conference school.
Game two got off to a bad start for the Spartans and went downhill from there. The first six batters reached base safely, the first four via hits. Rhodes led off the game with an infield single, then stole second and third. Ota singled to left to bring in Rhodes, then Mariconda hit a home run that was just out of the reach of a leaping Ausley at the left field wall.
Everhart followed with a single, Beth Walker reached on a fielder's choice that erased Everhart at second, and Davis lined a single off UNCG Cory Mattson's leg to chase Mattson from the game.
Hannah Angel came in and needed just three pitches to get two outs, getting Kristin Graham to line into a double play to end the inning.
The Hokies blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning, batting around to go up 8-0. Angel got a groundout to start the inning, but Rhodes, Ota and Mariconda followed with singles for the first run, and Everhart sent a three-run blast out to left to make it 7-0. Beth Walker was hit by a pitch then moved up on a groundout, and a walk to Graham ended Angel's day. Kristen Froehlich greeted Harrell with an RBI single to short before Harrell got a groundout to end the inning.
The Spartans could never get their offense going in game two, banging out just three hits, two of which came off the bat of Laura Olenderski. Merkt had a two-out single that single that snuck inside the right field line in the second, but she was stranded at first. Olenderski reached on an infield single in the third but was doubled off on Mouse's line drive smash to third, and Olenderski was stranded at second in the fifth after a one-out single and a steal.
Jewett reached twice in the game, on a fielder's choice in the first and again on a walk in the fourth. Mouse was UNCG's only other base-runner in the game, as she drew a one-out walk in the first.
Mattson fell to 3-6 on the year after allowing three runs on five hits in a third of an inning, while Kenzie Roark picked up her 20th win of the season for the Hokies. Roark allowed no runs on three hits and a pair of walks in five innings.
Rhodes, Ota, Mariconda and Everhart had two hits each for Virginia Tech. Mariconda and Everhart had three RBI each.
The split wrapped up the home portion of UNCG's schedule. The Spartans will finish the regular season at Elon this weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by a single game at 1 on Sunday. With three games left to play, UNCG could finish anywhere from fifth to eighth in the Southern Conference standings.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 5, Virginia Tech 3 (Apr 30, 2009 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 1)
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Virginia Tech....... 102 000 0 - 3 6 0 (24-26)
UNC Greensboro...... 014 000 X - 5 7 3 (22-29)
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Pitchers: Virginia Tech - Abbie Rexrode; Kenzie Roark(5) and Amber Walker. UNC Greensboro -
Amber Harrell and Whitney Sirois.
Win-Amber Harrell(7-12) Loss-Abbie Rexrode(4-8) T-1:59 A-0
HR UNCG - Kaitlin Merkt (6).
Weather: 68 degrees and mostly cloudy
Game: UNCG4301
Virginia Tech 8, UNC Greensboro 0 (Apr 30, 2009 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 2)
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Virginia Tech....... 300 50 - 8 10 1 (25-26)
UNC Greensboro...... 000 00 - 0 3 0 (22-30)
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Pitchers: Virginia Tech - Kenzie Roark and Kelsey Hensel. UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson;
Hannah Angel(1); Amber Harrell(4) and Whitney Sirois.
Win-Kenzie Roark(20-16) Loss-Cory Mattson(3-6) T-1:50 A-52
HR VT - Charisse Mariconda (4); Jessica Everhart (5).
Weather: 68 degrees, mostly cloudy
Game: UNCG4302
