GREENSBORO, N.C. - Senior Amber Harrell struck out nine batters to set UNC Greensboro's career strikeout record and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before settling for a 15-1 win over Western Carolina in game one of a Southern Conference doubleheader on Saturday. The Catamounts picked up a 4-1 win in game two to salvage the split.
Kaitlin Merkt just missed a school record of her own with six RBI in just five innings in the game-one win, but it was Harrell that stole the show.
Entering play Saturday needing just four strikeouts to set the record, Harrell wasted little time, striking out four of the game's first five batters to push her career total to 566, one more than UNCG pitching coach Vanessa (Oakes) Williams had from 2004-07. Harrell whiffed Amber Steinhardt swinging for the record-setting K.
Harrell would add five more strikeouts on the day, including two each in the third and fourth innings, and was just three outs from tossing the first no-hitter of her career.
The Catamounts (7-34, 2-14 SoCon) avoided the no-no and the shutout with a fifth-inning rally, getting a walk and a fielder's choice to lead off the inning. Danielle Reese followed with a clean single to center to plate pinch-runner Morgan Gardner and make it a 15-1 game. Harrell would retire the next three batters in order for the mercy rule win.
UNCG (18-22, 7-6 SoCon) gave Harrell all the offense she would need in the first inning, with Merkt hitting a two-run single to plate Alex Emeterio and Kristen Gabel.
The Spartans would blow the game open with a six-run second, with Emterio getting an RBI single, Merkt a two-run double and Emily Akiyama an RBI double.
UNCG added three in the third on Gabel's first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left. The Spartans added four more in the fourth on a two-run single from Eileen Horsmon and another two-run double by Merkt.
Merkt's six RBI fell one short of the single-game school record of seven, set by Kelly Councilman in 1988 and matched by Karyn Thompson in 1996.
Harrell (7-10) finished with an impressive pitching line, allowing an unearned run on one hit and three walks in five innings.
Katie King (2-20) took the loss for Western, allowing six runs - five earned - on five hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings.
Emeterio and Merkt finished with three hits each for UNCG in game one, while Gabel, Horsmon and Whitney Sirois had two hits each.
Game two was an entirely different story, as Steinhardt and UNCG's Cory Mattson were locked in a pitchers' duel for much of the contest.
Mattson started out strongly, striking out seven of the game's first 11 batters, including fanning the side in the third. But Western got to her in the sixth inning, with Robyn Burnett reaching on a bloop double that dropped in front of left fielder Brittany Ausley and coming in on Shemekia Scotten's RBI single.
With runners on the corners and no one out, Haley Pace sent a drive out to right center for a three-run home run, putting the Catamounts on top 4-0 and knocking Mattson from the game. Harrell came in and stopped the bleeding, however, giving UNCG six outs to rally.
UNCG brought up the heart of the order in the bottom half of the inning, and Emeterio drew a leadoff walk. Horsmon smoked a ball right at second baseman Scotten, who fired over to first to double off Emeterio. Merkt then lined out to Missy Wills at first to end the inning, with Western getting three outs in a span of just three pitches.
The Spartans would also get something going in the bottom half of the inning, as Akiyama reached on an error to lead off, and pinch-hitter Chelsea D'Ambrosio drilled a double down the left field line to score Akiyama.
Pinch-hitter Katie Stripling reached on a fielder's choice, but Heather Robb, who re-entered for D'Ambrosio, was safe at third. Laura Olenderski followed with a safety squeeze, but Steinhardt fielded the ball cleanly and tossed it home for the out at the plate. One out later, Gabel was hit by a pitch, bringing up Emeterio - UNCG's leading hitter on the season - with the bases loaded and two outs.
Steinhardt got a couple of quick called strikes, then with a 1-2 count, Emeterio grounded out to first to end the game.
Steinhardt (4-11) picked up the win, allowing just an unearned run on six hits and two walks, striking out two. Mattson (9-11) allowed four runs on six hits and no walks, striking out eight. Harrell worked two innings of no-hit relief, allowing just meaningless walk in the sixth.
Pace finished 3-for-3 with three RBI for the Catamounts.
The Spartans stranded eight runners in the contest, leaving two on in the second and fourth innings in addition to leaving the bases loaded in the seventh. Horsmon and Merkt singled to lead off the second before Western got a pair of fielder's choices and a lineout to end the frame.
The teams will play the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m. UNCG will be looking for its second straight SoCon series win after taking two of three from Appalachian State last weekend.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 15, Western Carolina 1 (Apr 17, 2010 at Greensboro, N.C.) (Game 1)
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Western Carolina.... 000 01 - 1 1 1 (6-34, 1-14 SoCon)
UNC Greensboro...... 263 4X - 15 13 2 (18-21, 7-5 SoCon)
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Pitchers: Western Carolina - Katie King; Bekah Burkett(2); Amber Steinhardt(3); Chere Monday(4) and Danielle Reese. UNC Greensboro - Amber Harrell and Eileen Horsmon; Whitney Sirois.
Win-Amber Harrell(7-10) Loss-Katie King(2-20) T-1:34 A-0
HR UNCG - Kristen Gabel (1).
Weather: 72 degrees, mostly cloudy
Burkett faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
Western Carolina 4, UNC Greensboro 1 (Apr 17, 2010 at Greensboro, N.C.) (Game 2)
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Western Carolina.... 000 004 0 - 4 6 1 (7-34, 2-14 SoCon)
UNC Greensboro...... 000 000 1 - 1 6 1 (18-22, 7-6 SoCon)
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Pitchers: Western Carolina - Amber Steinhardt and Danielle Reese. UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson; Amber Harrell(6) and Eileen Horsmon; Whitney Sirois.
Win-Amber Steinhardt(4-11) Loss-Cory Mattson(9-11) T-1:33 A-159
HR WCU - Haley Pace (4).
Weather: 73 degrees, partly cloudy
Mattson faced 4 batters in the 6th.
- UNCG -
