GREENSBORO, N.C. – Kaitlin Merkt hit her fourth home run of the season as UNCG split a doubleheader with College of Charleston to open Southern Conference play Saturday. CofC won game one 7-0 before UNCG took a 5-4 win in game two.
After the Cougars (18-9, 2-3 SoCon) pounded out three homers to take game one, UNCG (10-12, 1-1 SoCon) answered with an offensive outburst of its own to claim game two.
Trailing 1-0 after Carly Corthell scored on a passed ball in the first inning, the Spartans put three runs on the board in the bottom half to take their first lead of the day. After a Jordan Jewett single and an Alex Emeterio walk, Merkt singled through the right side to load the bases.
A wild pitch allowed Jewett to score from third, and Emeterio came in on Katelyn Bedwell's sacrifice fly to right. Eileen Horsmon then singled up the middle off pitcher Stephanie Saylors' glove to knock in Merkt with the third run of the game.
UNCG extended its lead in the third inning, when Emeterio singled to left and Merkt followed with a home run to right to make it a 5-1 contest.
The Cougars clawed back into it in the fifth inning, scoring a trio of unearned runs to tighten the game up. With two outs in the inning, Corthell reached on a throwing error that allowed Hillary Stringer and Kristy Giragosian to score. Lizzy Vaughn followed with an RBI triple to make it a one-run game, but starter Josie Felix struck out the next batter to keep the Spartans on top.
CofC threatened in each of the last two innings, but left a pair of runners on in both frames as UNCG salvaged the split.
Merkt and Emeterio had two hits each in the contest.
Felix improved to 4-3 on the season, allowing four runs, none of them earned, on four hits in 5 innings. Mattson earned her first save of the season, working two scoreless innings.
Saylors (6-6) allowed run earned runs on eight hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. SoCon ERA leader Jen Rosene worked the final 1 2/3, not allowing a baserunner.
Game one saw Charleston slug its way past the Spartans. Kelsey Hodgson's solo homer in the second made it a 1-0 game, and two-run home runs from Katie Pesature and Kristi Woodall in the third made it a 5-0 affair.
The Cougars added two more in the fifth inning, with Woodall lining a sac fly to right to score Pesature and Hodgson hitting and RBI double to bring in pinch-runner Kaitlyn White.
UNCG, meanwhile, struggled to get its offense going against CofC starter Alexa Datko, as Emeterio's infield single was the Spartans' lone hit until Horsmon's single through the left side in the fifth.
Datko (8-3) worked efficiently, retiring 11 straight batters between UNCG's two hits. She struck out six and didn't allow a walk in the complete-game effort.
Mattson (4-8) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks in 4 innings. Raeanne Hanks was tagged for four runs, allowing two homers among four hits in 1/3 of an inning. Emeterio worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, not allowing a hit and striking out one.
Pesature and Hodgson had two hits each for CofC.
The rubber game of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at UNCG Softball Stadium.
AGATE
Coll. of Charleston 7, UNCG 0 (Mar 19, 2011 at Greensboro, N.C.) (Game 1)
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Coll. of Charleston. 014 020 0 - 7 9 0 (18-8, 2-2 SoCon)
UNCG................ 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 (9-12, 0-1 SoCon)
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Pitchers: Coll. of Charleston - Alexa Datko. UNCG - Cory Mattson;Raeanne Hanks(3); Alex Emeterio(5).
Win-Alexa Datko(8-3) Loss-Cory Mattson(4-8) T-1:46 A-0
HR COFC - Katie Pesature (3); Kristi Woodall (1); Kelsey Hodgson (2).
Weather: 66 degrees, partly cloudy
UNCG 5, Coll. of Charleston 4 (Mar 19, 2011 at Greensboro, N.C.) (Game 2)
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Coll. of Charleston. 100 030 0 - 4 6 0 (18-9, 2-3 SoCon)
UNCG................ 302 000 X - 5 8 1 (10-13, 1-1 SoCon)
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Pitchers: Coll. of Charleston - Stephanie Saylors; Jen Rosene(5). UNCG - Josie Felix; Cory Mattson(6).
Win-Josie Felix(4-3) Save-Cory Mattson(1) Loss-Stephanie Saylors(6-6) T-1:40 A-86
HR UNCG - Kaitlin Merkt.
Weather: 66 degrees, partly cloudy
- UNCG -
