Softball 2/16/2013 7:00:00 PM UNCGSpartans.com

Softball Wins Hornet Invitational with 5-1 Victory Against EIU

Box Score

Box score (PDF)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The UNCG softball team used 10 hits and a key four-run first inning to defeat Eastern Illinois, 5-1, Sunday afternoon at the Barbara Williams softball complex. The Spartans went 4-1 to win the 2013 Hornet Invitational.

The Blue and Gold won four-straight games after dropping the opening game against Belmont, 1-0, in eight innings. The Spartans jumped on Eastern Illinois with a four-run first inning and cruised to a 5-1 victory.

Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) improved to 5-1 on the season after throwing six innings, allowing just one earned run with seven strikeouts. Hanks finished the tournament with 27 innings pitched with a 0.26 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

Freshman Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) paced the Spartans with a 3-for-4 effort, including a double and an RBI. Vega finished the tournament with a .588 batting average on 10 hits, four doubles, three runs scored and an RBI.

In the top of the first, Eastern Illinois had a chance after an error put Melise Brown on second with no outs. An illegal pitch moved Brown to third followed by a great play from senior Heather Robb (Apex, N.C./Middle Creek) to nail the runner at the plate. Reynae Hutchinson reached on a fielder's choice and was picked off first by freshman catcher Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Ca./Northwood) to end the inning.

UNCG broke the game open with a four-run bottom of the first inning. The Spartans quickly put runners on first and second after back-to-back singles from junior Aisha Figueroa (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) and Vega. Thomas roped an RBI double to right center to give UNCG a 1-0 lead. After a fly out, senior Eileen Horsmon (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) laced a RBI double off the left field wall to make it 2-0 Spartans. Freshman Chelsea Strandlund (Victoria, B.C./Lambrick Park) loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. Classmate Allison Geiner (Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek) worked a walk, followed by a wild pitch to give UNCG a 4-0 advantage after one inning.

Eastern Illinois cut the lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth after a two-out RBI single from Hannah Cole. Hutchinson reached base with a one-out single then stole second base. Cole singled up the middle to put the Panthers on the board.

The Spartans answered in the bottom of the fourth with three-straight singles from sophomore Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica), Figueroa and Vega. Vega picked up her second hit with the RBI single to score Alcala.

In the top of the seventh, freshman Nicole Thomas (Irvine, Ca./Northwood) came in relief to finish the game. Thomas worked out of a jam by getting a groundout and a lineout to third base to end the inning.

UNCG returns home to host the 2013 Spartan Classic next weekend at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

Be sure to follow all updates about the UNCG softball season on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports/@UNCGsoftball.