STATESBORO, Ga. – The UNCG softball team split a doubleheader against Georgia Southern dropping game one 5-2, before winning game two 2-1 in eight innings Saturday afternoon at Eagle Field.
The Spartans will conclude the series against the Eagles Sunday, April 28 starting at noon with potential weather issues in the area.
UNCG improves to 34-15, 11-8 on the season while the Eagles drop to 25-26, 11-8 in the SoCon.
Georgia Southern 5, UNCG 2
In game one, Georgia Southern broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run sixth inning to defeat the Spartans, 5-2.
Junior Sarah Purvis improved to 12-12 on the season after throwing a complete game, allowing two earned runs on five hits and zero strikeouts. Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) took the loss to fall to 17-8 on the season. Hanks only allowed two earned runs with five strikeouts.
Freshman Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) went 2-for-2 with a double and junior Katelyn Bedwell (Surrey, B.C./Elgin Park) had two RBI in the loss.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Bedwell picked up her 46th RBI on a sacrifice fly. Junior Aisha Figueroa (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) worked a walk and stole second base to start the frame. Thomas singled to left field to put runners at the corners with no outs. Bedwell drove in the run on a fly ball to right field scoring Figueroa on the play.
In the top of the third, Thomas doubled to left field and Bedwell earned her second RBI of the game with a single to left field to give UNCG a 2-0 lead.
Georgia Southern cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third when Alexa Lewis scored on a wild pitch with two outs. A.J. Hamilton worked a walk to start the inning and moved to second base on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Lewis walked to put runners on first and second. A fielder's choice gave the Spartans the second out of the inning. Kourtny Thomas walked to load the bases for the Eagles. Lewis scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1 UNCG.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Eagles tied the game on another wild pitch with two outs as Tabby Douberley scored from third.
Georgia Southern took a 5-2 lead with three runs on three hits with two errors in the sixth inning. Thomas reached on a fielding error to start the inning. Morrill grounded out before pinch-runner Dominique Grossman reached third base on an error. Douberley singled up the middle to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead. Andrea Tarashuk doubled to right center to score another run and Hamilton plated the final run on a sacrifice fly to left field.
In the top of the seventh, the Spartans started with a single from sophomore Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) to left centerfield. Freshman Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) reached on a fielding error to put runners on first and second. UNCG tried to bunt the runners over but Georgia Southern was able to turn a double play to end the rally. The Spartans had one last chance but a foul out to the shortstop ended the game.
UNCG 2, Georgia Southern (eight innings)
In game two, Lindsay Thomas broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI single and sophomore Erica Navarette (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills) pitched a four-hit gem in the circle to help UNCG split a doubleheader against Georgia Southern.
Navarette threw a complete game allowing just one earned run on four hits with seven strikeouts to improve to 8-5 on the season. Brooke Red (7-5) took the loss after allowing two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
With the score tied 1-1 in the eighth inning, Figueroa beat out an infield hit with two outs to start the rally. After another Figueroa steal, Thomas roped the game-winning RBI single to left field to give UNCG a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the first, Figueroa walked and Thomas reached on a fielding error to put runners on first and second with no outs. After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Bedwell earned an RBI groundout to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third after Lexi Allen earned an RBI single with one out. Gabrielle Story singled to right field to start the frame. After a sacrifice bunt, Lewis singled to put runners on first and third with one out. Allen plated her 14th RBI to even the score at 1-1 after three innings.
Spartans held on for the victory after a nice double play by Vega in the bottom of the eighth helped preserve the 2-1 win.
Be sure to follow all updates about the UNCG softball season on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports/@UNCGsoftball.
