JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – UNCG dropped two games Saturday at the Wingate by Wyndham Opening Weekend Tournament, falling victim to some shaky defense in a 6-3 loss to Buffalo and coming out on the wrong end of a pitching duel in a 1-0 loss to Saint Louis at Jacksonville University's JU Softball Complex.
Junior first baseman Eileen Horsmon hit her second home run in as many days to give UNCG (0-4) a brief 3-2 lead in game one against Buffalo, but the Bulls (2-1) rallied for the win.
Buffalo jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, with Holly Luciano hitting an RBI double and Caitlin Dekker knocking an RBI single after an error allowed Alexis Curtiss to reach earlier in the inning. Both runs were unearned.
UNCG got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, with Aisha Figueroa getting hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and become the Spartans' first runner of the day. After Figueroa stole second and Tatiana Alcala walked, Horsmon launched a shot out to left field to put UNCG up 3-2.
Katelyn Bedwell drew a walk to knock Buffalo starter Tori Speckman from the game, but after walking Heather Robb, Holly Johnson got three straight outs to escape further damage.
The Bulls got all three runs back in the bottom of the frame, with all three of them again unearned. With two on and two out, Karly Nevez reached on an error, allowing Alyssa Ward to score the tying run. Curtiss followed with a two-run single to bring in Nevez and Tori Pettiness with the go-ahead runs. A Kristin Waldron walk knocked UNCG starter Cory Mattson from the game, but reliever Erica Navarette got a popup to end the inning.
The Spartans tried to rally the following inning, with Kiah Ruffin hitting a leadoff single and Alcala getting hit by a pitch with one out. Johnson worked out of the jam, however, inducing a pair of flyouts to second baseman Sammi Gallardo.
Buffalo added an insurance run in the sixth inning on Curtiss' RBI single.
Down to its last chance, UNCG again seemed to get a rally going, but again stranded a pair of runners. Walks to Ashley Reetz and Figueroa put runners at first and second with one out, and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Johnson again wriggled off the hook, getting a lineout and a groundout to end the game.
Horsmon (1-for-3, three RBI) and Ruffin (1-for-3) had UNCG's lone hits in the contest. Curtiss was 2-for-3 with three RBI to pace the Bulls at the plate. Luciano and Pettiness had two hits each.
Johnson (1-0) earned the win, allowing just one hit and three walks in four innings of relief. Speckman took the no-decision despite retiring the first nine batters in order. She was charged with three earned runs on one hit and two walks in three innings.
Mattson (0-2) took the tough loss, allowing five runs, all unearned, on six hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings of work. Navarette allowed an earned run on three hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings.
The freshman made her first career start in the afternoon game, limiting Saint Louis to just four hits and an unearned run. Navarette (0-1) struck out seven and walked just one.
The Billikens (1-2) scored the game's only run in the top of the second inning. After a one-out single from Rachel Faletto, Erin Harcar reached on an error with two outs to keep the inning alive. Another UNCG error allowed Faletto to come around for what would prove to be the winning run.
UNCG couldn't get the timely hit it needed to push a run across. In the bottom of the first, Figueroa led off with a single and stole second base. A sacrifice moved her to third and a walk to Horsmon put runners on the corners with one out, but Saint Louis starter Julian Austin (1-0) struck out the next two batters.
The Spartans stranded a pair of runners again in the second inning, failing to take advantage of consecutive hits by Dominique Madruga and Reetz to lead off the inning.
UNCG also stranded single runners in the fifth and sixth innings.
Navarette worked out of a jam in the third inning, nailing Kelly Flanagan at the plate to end the inning after a Jessica Van Nostrand single.
Navarette retired 12 of 14 batters the rest of the way, allowing only a single to Kelsey Biggs in the sixth inning and a walk to Harcar in the seventh. Harcar stole her way to third base, but Navarette struck out Laura Bohning and Kerri Dockins to end the inning.
Austin retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh, getting three straight groundouts to second base. She allowed just four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
Figueroa finished the game 2-for-4 with a stolen base to lead UNCG at the plate.
UNCG wraps up play in the Opening Weekend Tournament against Virginia Tech at 11:15 Sunday.
AGATE
Buffalo 6, UNCG 3 (Feb 11, 2012 at Jacksonville, Fla.)
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UNCG................ 000 300 0 - 3 2 3 (0-3)
Buffalo............. 200 301 X - 6 9 0 (2-1)
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Pitchers: UNCG - Cory Mattson; Erica Navarette(4). Buffalo - Tori Speckman; Holly Johnson(4).
Win-Holly Johnson(1-0) Loss-Cory Mattson(0-2) T-2:00 A-311
HR UNCG - Eileen Horsmon.
Weather: 52 Degrees
Saint Louis 1, UNCG 0 (Feb 11, 2012 at Jacksonville, Fla.)
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Saint Louis......... 010 000 0 - 1 4 1 (1-2)
UNCG................ 000 000 0 - 0 4 2 (0-4)
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Pitchers: Saint Louis - Julian Austin and . UNCG - Erica Navarette and .
Win-Julian Austin(1-0) Loss-Erica Navarette(0-1) T-1:40 A-369
Weather: 65 degrees
- UNCG -
