GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team dropped both games against Samford, 8-0 in five innings and 5-3 in game two Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

The Spartans are 13-14 overall and sit 0-5 in conference play. Samford improves to 22-13 and is 4-1 in SoCon action.

Samford 8, UNCG 0 in five innings

In game one, the Bulldogs blasted three home runs to run-rule UNCG, 8-0 in five innings.

Mollie Hanson improved to 12-6 on the season after throwing five innings and allowed just six hits. Junior Nicole Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) took the loss falling to 2-6 on the season.

Nicole Thomas went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the team.

Samford jumped on the Spartans early as Megan Dowdy blasted a solo home run to right field to start the game. After a out, Abby Sweeney hit her team leading ninth home run of the season to left field. The Bulldogs scored their third run of the inning after a two out RBI double from Caroline Wilder.

In the second inning, the Bulldogs added a insurance run after a RBI sacrifice fly from Caitlin Bice.

The Bulldogs scored four more runs in the third inning, including a three-run home run from Dowdy, her second of the game, to centerfield. Sweeney added a RBI double to plate the eighth run. 

UNCG had a couple of chances but couldn't push any runs across in the five inning contest.

Samford 5, UNCG 3

In game two, the Spartans rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game at 3-3 but Samford scored two unanswered runs to sweep the doubleheader, 5-3.

Hanson threw another complete game improving to 13-6 on the season. Hanson threw seven innings and allowed just three earned runs off eight hits. Freshman pitcher Alicia Bazonski (Sheffield, Mass./Mount Everett) took the loss falling to 6-5 on the season. Bazonski threw the complete game and allowed five earned runs off 10 hits.

Junior Allison Geiner (Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek) was 2-for-3 and classmate Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) finished with two hits.

Samford took a 3-0 lead after Abby Adams launched a three-run shot to left field in the third inning. Callie Brister was hit by a pitch and Bice followed with a single to start the frame. Adams hit her third home run of the season with no outs in the third.

UNCG responded as senior Dominique Madruga (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) blasted her second home run of the season to cut Samford's lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third.

The Spartans rallied back to tie the game at 3-3 with two runs in the fourth inning. Sophomore Tory Wright (Potomac Falls, Va./Dominion) worked a walk and Geiner reached on a bunt single. Sophomore Hagan Kiser (Asheboro, N.C./Southwestern) pinch-hit and reached off a infield single to third base to load the bases. Freshman Gabrielle Cubbage (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) lined a two-run single to centerfield tying the game at 3-3.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the fifth inning after a RBI single from Brister to make it 4-3 Samford.

With two outs in the seventh, Samford scored its fifth run off a RBI single from Bice to go ahead 5-3. 

UNCG tried to rally in the final inning after a two out double by Vega but Hanson received a great catch in right field off a liner from Nicole Thomas to seal the 5-3 win.

The Blue and Gold will look to salvage game three against Samford Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

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