TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Junior Cory Mattson pitched the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and redshirt senior Kaitlin Merkt drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning as UNCG opened the 2011 season in style with a 1-0, extra-innings win over No. 23 Florida State at the Seminole Kick Off Classic on Friday. The tables were turned in game two, as Hofstra no-hit UNCG 16-0 in 5 innings.
Mattson (1-0) was simply dominant in shutting down the Seminoles (0-1), allowing just four base-runners. After surrendering a leadoff walk in the sixth, Mattson retired the final 12 batters in order for just the 11th no-hitter in school history.
The Everett, Wash., native turned in the first UNCG no-hitter since March 22, 2005, when Lynsi Pierce threw a 5-inning no-hitter against Maryland-Eastern Shore. Mattson's no-hitter was the first in school history over a ranked opponent and the first to go to extra innings.
Merkt, meanwhile, picked up a clutch hit when the Spartans (1-1) had to have it. With the teams locked in a scoreless contest in the top of the ninth, UNCG was down to its last out of the frame when sophomore Eileen Horsmon doubled down the right field line on a 3-2 pitch. Merkt followed with a single to right center, scoring Horsmon with what would prove to be the winning run.
Mattson's counterpart, Sarah Hamilton, turned in a solid effort of her own to keep the Spartans at bay until the ninth. She allowed just five hits in the contest and worked out of a couple of jams.
Sophomore Heather Robb picked up UNCG's first hit of the afternoon in the top of the third, leading off with a double down the left field line. An Aisha Figueroa sacrifice moved Robb to third, but Hamilton, a preseason member of the USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List, struck out the next two batters to escape unscathed.
The Spartans threatened again in the sixth inning, when freshman Ashley Reetz and senior Kristen Gabel reached on back-to-back one-out bunt singles, but Hamilton induced a double play to again wriggle off the hook.
FSU got a runner as far as second base only once, when Morgan Bullock walked in the sixth and stole second with two outs. Mattson coaxed a grounder from Robin Ahrberg to end the inning.
The Seminoles seemed to be in business in the fourth inning, as Shayla Jackson reached on a leadoff error. Mattson worked out of trouble, however, getting Ahrberg to line into an unassisted double play to first baseman Alex Emeterio.
Mattson finished with two strikeouts, whiffing leadoff hitter Tiffani Brown twice. She walked three in matching the longest outing of her career.
The win was UNCG's first over a ranked opponent since a 1-0 win over No. 19 Georgia Tech on Feb. 9, 2003. It was also the first win over a ranked opponent under coach Jennifer Herzig, who also picked up the second win over an ACC school of her career.
Game two against Hofstra (1-0) was a drastic departure from game one. The Pride scored at least four runs in three of the four innings in which it batted, but recorded just one extra-base hit. The Spartans committed four errors and a passed ball and allowed 10 hits.
Hofstra struck for five unearned runs in the first inning to chase starter Raeanne Hanks. Two runners scored before the Pride even got a hit as Hanks hit a pair of batters and a run came in on the Spartans' first error of the afternoon. Becca Bigler and Michelle Lavagnino had RBI hits in the inning as Hofstra batted around.
Emeterio came out of the bullpen for the first pitching appearance of her collegiate career and tossed a perfect second inning, and it looked like things had calmed down. Hofstra had other ideas, however, jumping on Emeterio for seven runs in the third, six of them earned, to put the game into mercy rule territory. The Pride picked up three hits and a walk off Emeterio and took advantage of two more UNCG errors to knock her from the game before recording an out in the inning.
Freshman Josie Felix retired the first batter she faced, but Laura Valentino followed with a two-run single and Olivia Galati added an RBI double to close the book on Emeterio. Felix retired the next two batters in order to end the inning.
Hofstra added four more runs in the fourth off of Felix, getting two-run singles from Valentino and Tessa Ziemba.
UNCG, meanwhile, couldn't get anything going, as Toni MacReynold's four-pitch walk in the top of the third inning was the only blemish for Galati (1-0), who struck out 10 in the 5-inning no-hitter.
Valentino led Hofstra at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI. Every Hofstra player but one had at least one hit and all nine of them scored at least one run.
Hanks (0-1) took the loss after allowing five unearned runs on two hits and two walks in an inning of work.
UNCG returns to action Saturday against St. John's at 10 a.m. The Spartans will then begin bracket play, with their next game coming at either 2:45 p.m. or 4:45 p.m.
AGATE
UNCG 1, Florida State 0 (Feb 11, 2011 at Tallahassee, Fla.)
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UNCG................ 000 000 001 - 1 5 1 (1-0)
Florida State....... 000 000 000 - 0 0 0 (0-1)
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Pitchers: UNCG - Cory Mattson. Florida State - Sarah Hamilton.
Win-Cory Mattson(1-0) Loss-Sarah Hamilton(0-1) T-1:50 A-0
Weather: Fair
Hofstra 16, UNCG 0 (Feb 11, 2011 at Tallahassee, Fla.)
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UNCG................ 000 00 - 0 0 4 (1-1)
Hofstra............. 507 4X - 16 10 0 (1-0)
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Pitchers: UNCG - Raeanne Hanks; Alex Emeterio(2); Josie Felix(3). Hofstra - Olivia Galati.
Win-Olivia Galati(1-0) Loss-Raeanne Hanks(0-1) T-1:30 A-0
Weather: Fair
- UNCG -
