GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNC Greensboro split on the first day of action at its own Spartan Classic, topping Sacred Heart 5-3 before falling to Niagara, 3-2, in the nightcap on Friday.
In earlier games, Cleveland State (4-3) topped Sacred Heart 1-0 and Niagara 5-3 in 8 innings.
With the score tied at 3 in the bottom of the sixth, UNCG (3-7) got a bases-loaded walk from Kristen Gabel to push across what would prove to be the winning run against Sacred Heart (0-2). Alex Emeterio followed with an RBI single for a little insurance, and senior Amber Harrell (1-3) made the lead stand.
UNCG jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game, with April Langley leading off the second with a double down the left field line and Emily Akiyama following with a double to left to bring in Langley. Two outs later, Ausley reached on an infield single to knock in Akiyama and put UNCG up by a pair.
The Pioneers would counter with two runs in the top of the third. After Carley Rudloff drew a two-out walk, leadoff hitter Taylor Froelich launched a two-run home run out to left center to tie the game.
Sacred Heart took its only lead of the game the following inning. Courtney Lee started the inning with a walk, and the Pioneers loaded the bases with no one out when UNCG twice tried to nail the lead runner on sacrifice bunt attempts, only to see the SHU runners get there ahead of the throw both times.
Harrell got a popup to short for the first out, then induced an easy ground ball that she fielded herself. She tossed home in plenty of time to nail Lee at the plate, but UNCG catcher Whitney Sirois dropped the ball, allowing Lee to score. Harrell got a strikeout to avoid further damage as the Pioneers left the bases loaded.
UNCG picked up the equalizer in the bottom half of the frame, with Akiyama reaching on an error and Sirois sacrificing pinch-runner Kayla Hensley to second. One out later, Ausley doubled to center to bring in Hensley with the tying run.
SHU made some noise in the top of the seventh, but left the bases loaded. Back-to-back one-out walks put runners at first and second and Lee singled to left to load the bases with two down. Harrell recovered to strike out Amanda Bradley swinging to end the game, striking out the side.
Harrell allowed three runs (two earned) on five walks and four hits in 7 innings of work. She struck out eight. SHU's Nicole Sidor (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks in 2 innings of relief.
Ausley and Emeterio had two hits each to pace the Spartans at the plate.
Against Niagara (1-1), the Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Emeterio's RBI single up the middle.
The Purple Eagles answered in the bottom half with Maggie McDonald's leadoff homer, which bounced off the top of the wall in left center and went over.
Niagara added two more runs in the thid on Kristin Sito's RBI single and a Spartan fielding error that allowed Jennifer Hare to score from third.
UNCG made it interesting in the top half of the seventh, getting a run back and leaving two men on. Freshman Chelsea D'Ambrosio roped a pinch-hit double to the gap in right center with one out, and Katie Stripling worked a 10-pitch walk to put runners at first and second. A wild pitch moved both runners over before Heather Robb's squib single loaded the bases for Ausley. Ausley hit a ball to short and McDonald tagged Stripling for out No. 2, but not before pinch-runner Jordan Jewett scored from third.
Niagara pitcher Cassie Stone (1-0) induced a popup off the bat of Gabel that Teresa Healy was able to corral in shallow right to escape the jam and end the game.
Stone allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in 7 innings.
Cory Mattson (1-3) took the loss for UNCG, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks in 3 innings. Freshman Raeanne Hanks tossed the final 3 innings, allowing just two walks and striking out five.
The Spartan Classic resumes Saturday with Niagara taking on Sacred Heart at 11 a.m. and UNCG hosting Cleveland State at 1 p.m. Semifinals are at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.
Cleveland State 1, Sacred Heart 0 – Vikings pitcher Amanda Macenko (3-3) flirted with a no-hitter against Sacred Heart, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning before allowing a walk and a single through the left side. She finished with 13 strikeouts for CSU, which made the most out of Lia Gordon's RBI groundout in the bottom of the first inning.
Cleveland State 5, Niagara 3 (8) – Cleveland State's Tess Sito and Gabby Gillilan hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning and Gordon hit a three-run double in the top of the eighth as the Vikings earned a sweep on the first day of the Spartan Classic. Hare had a solo home run for the Purple Eagles, who plated a run in the bottom half of the eighth but could not complete the comeback.
AGATE
Cleveland State 1, Sacred Heart 0 (Feb 26, 2010 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Sacred Heart........ 000 000 0 - 0 1 1 (0-1)
Cleveland State..... 100 000 X - 1 4 0 (3-3)
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Pitchers: Sacred Heart - Jen Russell and Shannon McCoy. Cleveland State - Amanda Macenko and Mimi Mahon.
Win-Amanda Macenko(2-3) Loss-Jen Russell(0-1) T-1:27 A-59
Weather: 37 degrees, 23 mph wind
Cleveland State 5, Niagara 3 (Feb 26, 2010 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Cleveland State..... 000 200 03 - 5 5 1 (4-3)
Niagara............. 001 010 01 - 3 7 1 (0-1)
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Pitchers: Cleveland State - Amanda Macenko and Amy Powell; Mimi Mahon. Niagara - Julie DiMatteo and Jennifer Hare.
Win-Amanda Macenko(3-3) Loss-Julie DiMatteo(0-1) T-1:54 A-74
HR CSU - Tess Sito; Gabby Gillilan.
HR NIA - Jennifer Hare.
Weather: 43 degrees, 24 mph wind
UNC Greensboro 5, Sacred Heart 3 (Feb 26, 2010 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Sacred Heart........ 002 100 0 - 3 4 1 (0-2)
UNC Greensboro...... 020 102 X - 5 9 1 (3-6)
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Pitchers: Sacred Heart - Liz Tsipouras; Nicole Sidor(5) and Shannon McCoy. UNC Greensboro -
Amber Harrell and Whitney Sirois.
Win-Amber Harrell(1-3) Loss-Nicole Sidor(0-1) T-2:02 A-86
HR SHU - Taylor Froelich (1).
Weather: 46 degrees, 23 mph winds
Niagara 3, UNC Greensboro 2 (Feb 26, 2010 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 100 000 1 - 2 5 3 (3-7)
Niagara............. 102 000 X - 3 4 1 (1-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson; Raeanne Hanks(4) and Whitney Sirois. Niagara -
Cassie Stone and Jaclyn Russell.
Win-Cassie Stone(1-0) Loss-Cory Mattson(1-3) T-1:55 A-74
HR NIA - Maggie McDonald (1).
- UNCG -
