WOODSTOCK, Ga. - UNC Greensboro split on its final day of action at the Buzz Classic, falling 4-2 to Jacksonville State before taking a 4-1 win over Tennessee Tech on Sunday. Pitcher Cory Mattson was named to the All-Tournament Team.
UNCG (7-11) finished 11th at the 22-team tournament, going 3-2 over three days.
Mattson went 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA at the tournament, improving her record to 4-4 with the win over the Golden Eagles (8-7) on Sunday.
The sophomore from Everett, Wash., allowed just one run on four hits and five walks, matching her career high with 10 strikeouts.
UNCG's offense did the rest. After leaving the bases loaded in the first, the Spartans broke through in the bottom of the third inning. Jordan Jewett stroked a one-out single down the left field line, and Alex Emeterio followed with an infield single. A fielder's choice erased Emeterio at second, but Kristen Gabel hit a two-run double to left center to bring in Jewett and Eileen Horsmon.
TTU got a run back in the fifth on Stacey Butts' RBI single, but UNCG answered with a pair in the bottom half of the frame on Horsmon's two-out, two-run home run.
Emeterio finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, while Horsmon was 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Gabel was also 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI.
Mattson recorded six of her first seven outs via strikeout, including striking out the side in the first.
Cladia Harke (0-3) took the loss for TTU, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in 4 innings.
In the first game of the afternoon, senior pitcher Amber Harrell tossed a two-hitter, but Jacksonville State took advantage of seven walks and a timely home run for the win.
With the score tied at 2 in the sixth inning, Samantha Rich hit a leadoff home run for what would prove to be the winning run. The Gamecocks would add an insurance run on Tess Echols' sacrifice fly.
UNCG jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on freshman Heather Robb's first career home run, but Jacksonville State went ahead with two runs in the bottom of the third.
After retiring the first two batters, Harrell (2-6) walked four of the next five, with Nikki Prier and Kaycee Crow drawing bases-loaded walks to plate JSU's first runs of the day.
The Spartans evened the score in the top of the fourth, with Robb reaching on a two-base error and going to third on a Kaitlin Merkt single. Robb came in on Whitney Sirois' fielder's choice sacrifice bunt.
JSU's only other hit besides the Rich home run was Chrissy O'Neal's single in the third.
Six different players accounted UNCG's six hits. Robb was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Ashley Eliasson (3-6) picked up the win for TTU, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks in 7 innings. She struck out seven.
Three of the runs charged to Harrell were earned. She struck out four, leaving her eight strikeouts shy of becoming just the second player in school history to record 500 for her career.
The Spartans return to action next weekend when they host Georgia Southern to open Southern Conference play. The squads will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
AGATE
Jacksonville State 4, UNC Greensboro 2 (Mar 07, 2010 at Woodstock, Ga.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 010 100 0 - 2 6 2 (6-11)
Jacksonville State.. 002 002 X - 4 2 1 (6-7)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell and Whitney Sirois. Jacksonville State - Ashley Eliasson and Kaycee Crow.
Win-Ashley Eliasson(3-6) Loss-Amber Harrell(2-6) T-1:44 A-0
HR UNCG - Heather Robb.
HR JSU - Samantha Rich (2).
Weather: Cloudy, 46 degrees
UNC Greensboro 4, Tennessee Tech 1 (Mar 07, 2010 at Woodstock, Ga.)
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Tennessee Tech...... 000 010 0 - 1 4 0 (8-7)
UNC Greensboro...... 002 020 X - 4 5 1 (7-11)
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Pitchers: Tennessee Tech - Claudia Harke; Whitney Cummings(5) and Callie Schmidt; Erin Cutlip. UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson and Whitney Sirois.
Win-Cory Mattson(4-4) Loss-Claudia Harke(0-3) T-1:47 A-74
HR UNCG - Eileen Horsmon.
Weather: 55 degrees, sunny
- UNCG -
