For video of UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig's postgame comments, click here.
For video of UNCG catcher Katelyn Bedwell's postgame comments, click here.
STATESBORO, Ga. – UNCG catcher Katelyn Bedwell was 3-for-4 with a two-run triple and Cory Mattson turned in her second straight strong pitching performance as the sixth-seeded Spartans downed seventh-seeded Samford at the Southern Conference Softball Championship on Thursday, 4-1.
UNCG (26-30) will now face top-seeded Chattanooga in the semifinals of the tournament on Friday at 3 p.m.
With UNCG nursing a 1-0 lead in the sixth, Bedwell got things going with a one-out double to the gap in left center, just out of the reach of center fielder Kayla Shaffer. Heather Robb followed with a walk, and a flyout moved pinch-runner Ashley Reetz and Robb up a base. Senior outfielder April Langley then dropped a perfectly placed bunt down the first base line, legging out the single and allowing Reetz to score to give UNCG a 2-0 lead.
The run proved crucial, as Samford (14-39) wasted little time getting the run back on Amanda Jordan's towering solo home run out to left to cut UNCG's lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Langley kept the damage from being worse, making a nice sliding pick-up on Aaren Fisher's single to the gap in left and firing to second to nail Fisher trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Bedwell then gave UNCG a pair of big insurance runs in the seventh, hitting her third triple of the season. Kaitlin Merkt drew a one-out walk to get the rally started, and Jordan Jewett followed with a single through the right side to put a pair of runners on. One out later, Bedwell laced a triple down the line in right to bring both runners in and make it a 4-1 contest.
UNCG picked up the first run of the game in the top of the first on Alex Emeterio's RBI single to stake Mattson to an early lead.
Mattson (14-13) dazzled for the second straight day, scattering five hits and two walks and allowing one run to raise her record to 2-0 at the tournament. Raeanne Hanks recorded her second save of the season, working a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts.
Bedwell finished a homer short of the cycle to pace UNCG at the plate, while UNCG banged out nine hits total. Jordan was 2-for-3 to lead the Bulldogs.
Kayla Burris took the loss for Samford, allowing four runs on nine hits and four walks in seven innings. She struck out four.
With the win, UNCG has won two games at the tournament for the school-record fifth consecutive season and its first two for just the second time ever. UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig is the only coach in school history with multiple wins in the tournament in multiple years.
UNCG defeated Chattanooga in the first round of last season's SoCon tournament, with Spartan pitcher Amber Harrell falling one out shy of a no-hitter and Eileen Horsmon hitting a grand slam in the 4-1 win. The Lady Mocs swept a three-game series from the Spartans during this year's regular season on April 9-10.
AGATE
UNCG 4, Samford 1 (May 12, 2011 at Statesboro, Ga.)
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UNCG................ 100 001 2 - 4 9 0 (26-30)
Samford............. 000 001 0 - 1 5 2 (14-39)
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Pitchers: UNCG - Cory Mattson; Raeanne Hanks(7). Samford - Kayla Burris.
Win-Cory Mattson(14-13) Save-Raeanne Hanks(2) Loss-Kayla Burris(9-16) T-1:54 A-215
HR SAM - Amanda Jordan (9).
Weather: 88 degrees, partly cloudy
Game notes:
Game 9 of 2011 Southern Conference Championship
- UNCG -
