ELON, N.C. – The UNCG softball team bounced back after a 8-5 loss in game one to win the three-game series against Elon, 10-2, in five innings Saturday afternoon at the Hunt Softball Park.
The Spartans took two of three from the Phoenix to improve to 25-8, 7-4 on the season, while Elon falls to 12-19, 2-7 in the SoCon.
Elon 8, UNCG 5
In game one, Elon held off a late rally from UNCG to take game two in the series, 8-5. The Spartans finished with 11 hits but came up just short in the loss.
Sophomore Erica Navarette (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills) took the loss to fall to 4-4 on the season after allowing eight hits and four earned runs in six innings. Freshman Kayla Caruso improved to 6-7 after throwing a complete game, allowing 11 hits and five earned runs.
Freshman Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) finished the game with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, while classmates Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) and Allison Geiner (Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek) each had two hits apiece.
Elon scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the first after Grace Eng earned a two-run RBI single to left center. Carleigh Nester started the inning with a single to right center, followed by Camile Hill reaching on a throwing error by the Spartans. UNCG intentionally walked Tomeka Watson to load the bases when Emily Cameron popped into a double play. With two outs, Eng gave the Phoenix a 2-0 lead after one inning of play.
The Phoenix added to their lead with a three-run bottom of the second inning. With one out, Emile Rowand walked and Caitlin O'Shea singled to the shortstop. Nester lined a shot to centerfield to score Rowand giving Elon a 3-0 advantage. After a groundout and another intentionally walk to Watson loaded the bases for Cameron. Cameron hit a shot just over the head of Spartan' shortstop Heather Robb (Apex, N.C./Middle Creek) to score two more runs and give Elon a 5-0 lead.
UNCG cut the lead to 5-1 after Vega earned an RBI single to right field in the top of the third. Geiner singled through the left side with one out. After a groundout, Vega dropped a swallow hit to right field to score Geiner and give the Spartans their first run of the game.
In the top of the fifth, Geiner started the rally with another single past the diving second baseman. Junior Aisha Figueroa (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) put runners on first and second after a single to the pitcher. After a fielder's choice, Thomas lined a single to centerfield to load the bases with one out. Junior Katelyn Bedwell (Surrey, B.C./Elgin Park) earned a sacrifice fly to left field to cut the lead to 5-2. Robb worked a walk to load the bases again and senior Eileen Horsmon (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) picked up an RBI walk after a nine-pitch at bat to make the score 5-3.
Elon scored two unearned runs in the fifth inning after the Spartans committed a couple of errors. Cameron reached second base after the Spartans dropped an infield fly, while Eng moved the runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. Little tried to lay down a sacrifice squeeze but the Spartans had Cameron in a rundown before a throwing error allowed her to score from third. The inning continued as the Phoenix added their second run off a bases loaded walk to give them a 7-3 advantage.
In the sixth inning, Watson lined a double to right center to start the frame for Elon. Watson would steal third base and come home after a wild pitch to increase Elon's lead to 8-3.
In the seventh inning, UNCG scored two runs off a two-run single from Horsmon to cut the lead to 8-5. Thomas started the rally with a single to left field, followed by a fielder's choice from Bedwell. With one out, Robb lined a single to left field, before Horsmon picked up her 18th and 19th RBI of the season.
UNCG 10, Elon 2 in five innings
In game two, the Spartans used a key six-run fourth inning to run-rule Elon, 10-2 in the series finale.
Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) improved to 14-3 after throwing a complete game, allowing one earned run with four strikeouts. Chelsea White fell to 2-9 after allowing four earned runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Geiner and Thomas each finished with 2-for-3 at the plate to lead UNCG.
Elon took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third after O'Shea scored on a throwing error. O'Shea started the inning with a single and moved to second after a wild pitch. After a groundout, O'Shea moved to third with one out. Camille Hill reached on an error that allowed O'Shea to score from third.
UNCG opened up a 6-1 lead after scoring six runs on eight hits in the top of the fourth. The Spartans batted around with Thomas going 2-for-2 with a single and a double in the frame. Bedwell tied the game with a perfect suicide squeeze that energized the offense. Pinch-hitter Toni MacReynolds (Vienna, Va./James Madison) earned a nine-pitch RBI single to centerfield, while sophomore Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) followed with RBI single that landed on the left field line. Figueroa picked up an RBI infield single and Vega lined a two-run single to left center to plate two more runs for the Spartans.
In the bottom of the fourth, Elon cut the lead to 6-2. Lauren Oldham started the inning with a single to left field. After two groundouts, Nester singled to right field scoring Oldham and cutting UNCG's lead to 6-2.
The Spartans added four more runs in the fifth inning to take a 10-2 advantage. Horsmon singled through the infield to start the frame. After two groundouts, sophomore Dominique Madruga (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) singled to the shortstop to put runners on first and third. Alcala reached on an error allowing Horsmon to score, while Figueroa walked. Elon committed two more errors allowing UNCG to build its lead to 10-2.
Elon would get a runner to third but a groundout to Hanks ended the game for UNCG.
The Spartans return to action Tuesday, April 2 against Virginia Tech with game one starting at 4 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va.
Be sure to follow all updates about the UNCG softball season on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports/@UNCGsoftball.
