GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG dropped a pair of games at its own Spartan Classic on Friday, falling to Morehead State 13-1 in 5 innings and to Kansas 8-3.
In the day's earlier action, Minnesota beat Morehead State 4-0 and Kansas 5-4.
The game against Morehead State (4-7) got away from the Spartans (6-6) early as the Eagles sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run second inning. Morehead State led off the inning with three straight walks, and a pair of RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk knocked UNCG starter Josie Felix (2-1) from the game.
The Eagles rapped out four hits in the inning but took advantage of five walks and a hit batter to turn the contest into a blowout early. Rebecca Butler and Kayla Brill each had two-run singles in the frame.
Morehead State added three more runs in the third, scoring on an RBI grounder, an error and a single up the middle to make it 11-0.
UNCG avoided the shutout in the bottom half of the frame, as Kaitlin Merkt and Eileen Horsmon hit consecutive two-out singles. The pair advanced on a passed ball and Merkt them came in on a wild pitch.
Morehead State capped the scoring with two more in the fourth, getting an RBI grounder and a run another error to make it 13-1.
The game had a very different look early on, as UNCG left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. Freshman Aisha Figueroa led off with a single up the middle, and Alex Emeterio reach on catcher's interference one out later. Merkt singled through the left side to load the bases, but Morehead State starter Kelcey McMurray induced a fielder's choice to erase Figueroa at the plate and a strikeout to escape unscathed.
Merkt was 2-for-3 in the game for the Spartans, while Brooke McCartney led the way for the Eagles with 3-for-3 effort.
McMurray picked up the win with 3 innings of four-hit ball, allowing just an unearned run. Felix was rocked for six earned on three hits and four walks in 1-plus innings.
Game two saw the Spartans jump out to a 2-0 lead over Kansas (11-1) in the third inning. Jordan Jewett got things going with an infield single to shortstop, and eventually scored on a Jayhawk throwing error. Emeterio added an RBI fielder's choice to make it a 2-0 game.
Kansas took a lead it would not relinquish in the top half of the next inning, getting back-to-back home runs from Marissa Ingle and Brittany Hile.
The Jayhawks would add two more in the fifth, getting RBI singles from Ingle and Hile, but the Spartans would get a run back in the sixth on an RBI fielder's choice. UNCG wasted a chance for more, however, as it had the bases loaded with nobody out before Kansas starter Allie Clark limited the damage.
Hile put the game out of reach in the top half of the seventh, hitting a towering three-run homer that hit off the top of the fence in left field to make it 8-3.
Cory Mattson (2-4) took the loss in the circle for the Spartans, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits in 7 innings. Clark (6-1) allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits in the complete-game effort.
The Spartan Classic continues Saturday with Morehead State and Kansas squaring off at 11 a.m., followed by UNCG vs. Minnesota. The teams will then get into bracket play with games scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Minnesota 4, Morehead State 0 – Alex Davis went 4-for-4 with three RBI and freshman Sara Moulton threw a five-hit shutout as the Golden Gophers opened the Spartan Classic with a 4-0 win over Morehead State. Davis had an RBI single in the first inning, a two-run double in the third and singles in the fifth and seventh innings to lead the way for Minnesota. Five different players accounted for the Eagles' five hits.
Minnesota 5, Kansas 4 – Minnesota rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning to hand Kansas its first loss of the season, 5-4 in the second game of the Spartan Classic. Aubrey Davis had an RBI single and Alex Davis added an RBI groundout as the Golden Gophers overcame a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the last two innings. Alex Davis' two-run home run in the sixth pulled Minnesota within a run. Moulton picked up her second win of the day with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
AGATE
Morehead State 13, UNCG 1 (Feb 25, 2011 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Morehead State...... 083 20 - 13 9 1 (4-7)
UNCG................ 001 00 - 1 5 3 (6-5)
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Pitchers: Morehead State - Kelcey McMurray; Ashley Boyd(4); Jami Whitcomb(5). UNCG - Josie Felix; Raeanne Hanks(2); Alex Emeterio(4).
Win-Kelcey McMurray(2-0) Loss-Josie Felix(2-1) T-1:50 A-82
Weather: 62 degrees and sunny
Felix faced 6 batters in the 2nd.
Kansas 8, UNCG 3 (Feb 25, 2011 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Kansas.............. 000 320 3 - 8 12 2 (11-1)
UNCG................ 002 001 0 - 3 2 1 (6-6)
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Pitchers: Kansas - Allie Clark. UNCG - Cory Mattson.
Win-Allie Clark(6-1) Loss-Cory Mattson(2-4) T-1:55 A-67
HR KU - Marissa Ingle; Brittany Hile 2.
Weather: 53 degrees
Minnesota 4, Morehead State 0 (Feb 25, 2011 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Minnesota........... 102 010 0 - 4 10 1 (4-6)
Morehead State...... 000 000 0 - 0 5 3 (3-7)
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Pitchers: Minnesota - Sara Moutlton. Morehead State - Ashley Imperial.
Win-Sara Moutlton(4-4) Loss-Ashley Imperial(2-3) T-1:49 A-62
Weather: 57 degrees, partly cloudy
Minnesota 5, Kansas 4 (Feb 25, 2011 at Greensboro, N.C.)
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Minnesota........... 100 002 2 - 5 7 3 (5-6)
Kansas.............. 200 200 0 - 4 8 0 (10-1)
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Pitchers: Minnesota - Alissa Koch; Sara Moutlton(6). Kansas - Alex Jones; Allie Clark(7).
Win-Sara Moutlton(5-4) Loss-Allie Clark(5-1) T-2:35 A-82
HR MINN - Malisa Barnes; Al. Davis.
HR KU - Liz Kocon.
- UNCG -
