MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Cory Mattson earned a win and a save, Laura Olenderski went a combined 5-for-6 and Kaitlin Merkt had four hits and a two-run home run as UNC Greensboro swept a Southern Conference doubleheader from College of Charleston on Saturday, 11-7 in 11 innings and 5-1.
In a wild game one, UNCG (10-14, 3-2 SoCon) scored five runs in the top of the 11th inning to grab the win. The Spartans had scored three runs in the top of the seventh to go up 5-2 and put themselves in position to win, but the Cougars (8-14, 0-2 SoCon) scored three runs in the bottom half to force extras. UNCG went ahead again in the 10th, but CofC once again had the answer in the bottom half of the frame.
The Spartans finally blew it open in the 11th, with Brittany Ausley's RBI single down the left field line getting the scoring started. After UNCG loaded the bases with one out, Mattson singled to score Olenderski with what would prove to be the winning run. Ausley also scored on the play on a CofC error.
Emily Akiyama followed with a two-run double to make it an 11-6 game.
The Cougars got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on Kristie Shifflett's sacrifice fly, but Mattson retired the next two batters for the rollercoaster win.
UNCG seemed to have the game in hand in the seventh, plating three runs to get within three outs of the win. Kayla Hensley walked and later scored on a CofC error and Alex Emeterio rapped a two-run double to make it a 5-2 contest.
College of Charleston would rally to force extras, however, first getting a run on Katie Forbes' RBI fielder's choice and then knotting the score on Kelley Dillon's two-run double. Reliever Amber Harrell induced a rare 6-3-5 double play to end the inning.
Neither side would score again until the 10th. UNCG got a run on Merkt's RBI single to make it a 6-5 game, but Charleston got the run back in the bottom half on Katie Pesature's sac fly, setting up the exciting 11th frame.
The Spartans had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, with Merkt getting things started with a one-out single. Merkt would later score on a CofC error, and UNCG would add another run on Olenderski's RBI single.
The Cougars answered with two of their own in the bottom half, with Shifflett's double putting runners on the corners with no one out. A Mattson wild pitch allowed Kristi Woodall to score and Shifflett would later score from third on a double steal.
Mattson evened her record at 6-6 on the season, allowing four runs - two earned - on five hits and three walks in 9 innings and striking out a career-high 12.
Kasie Meeks (1-2) took the loss for CofC, allowing nine runs - five earned - on seven hits and four walks in 7 innings.
Merkt was 3-for-6 a run and an RBI, while Olenderski was 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI for her first career three-hit game.
Woodall had CofC's lone multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4.
UNCG's offense picked up where it left off in game two, scoring all five of its runs in the first inning. The Spartans pounded out three hits and took advantage of two Cougar errors to get the only runs they would need.
Emeterio delivered an RBI single to plate Ausley with the first run, and Jordan Jewett scored on a Charleston miscue. Akiyama followed with an RBI double to score Emeterio, and Merkt made it a 5-0 game with a two-run shot, her first of the season.
Freshman Raeanne Hanks (2-1) made the most of the big lead, picking up her second win of the season by allowing just one run on three hits and a walk in 4 innings. Her lone mistake was a solo home run by Forbes in the fourth inning.
Mattson worked the final 3 innings, allowing just a hit and a walk, striking out four to raise her total to 16 on the day. She picked up her first career save.
Terri Mesko suffered the loss for the Cougars, allowing five runs - four earned - on six hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts in 7 innings. She allowed just three hits after the first inning.
Olenderski was 2-for-3 in the game for UNCG, while Amber Shifflett was 2-for-4 for College of Charleston.
The teams will wrap up the three-game set Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.
NOTES: UNCG's sweep was its first doubleheader sweep of the Cougars since April 6, 2002.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 11, Coll. of Charleston 7 (Mar 20, 2010 at Mt. Pleasant, S.C.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 000 200 300 15 - 11 12 2 (9-14, 2-2)
Coll. of Charleston. 000 200 300 11 - 7 6 3 (8-13, 0-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson; Amber Harrell(10) and Whitney Sirois.
Coll. of Charleston - Datko; Meeks(5) and Pesature.
Win-Cory Mattson(6-6) Loss-Meeks(1-2) T-3:19 A-117
Weather: Sunny, 70 degrees
UNC Greensboro 5, Coll. of Charleston 1 (Mar 20, 2010 at Mt. Pleasant, S.C.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 500 000 0 - 5 6 1 (10-14, 3-2)
Coll. of Charleston. 000 100 0 - 1 4 2 (8-14, 0-2)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Raeanne Hanks; Cory Mattson(5) and . Coll. of Charleston - Mesko and Maurer.
Win-Raeanne Hanks(2-1) Save-Cory Mattson(1) Loss-Mesko(3-6) T-1:50 A-78
HR UNCG - Kaitlin Merkt (1).
HR COFC - Forbes (1).
Weather: Sunny, 72 degrees
- UNCG -
