GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team scored eight runs in both games to sweep a doubleheader against Radford, 8-3 and 8-4 Tuesday night at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
The Spartans improved to 22-19 on the season and have won five-straight games. Radford falls to 12-32 with the doubleheader loss.  

UNCG 8, Radford 3

In game one, the Spartans scored six runs in the first two innings and held on to a 8-3 victory against the Highlanders.

Senior Dominique Madruga (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) went 2-for-2 at the plate and junior Allison Geiner (Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek) picked up two hits in the victory.

Freshman pitcher Alicia Bazonski (Sheffield, Mass./Mount Everett) threw five innings to improve to 9-8 on the season and allowed just two earned runs off eight hits. Taylor Asimakopoulos fell to 3-5 after allowing six earned runs off five hits and had four walks.

Radford took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning off two hits. Becky Mantel started the game with a infield single and moved to second off a sacrifice bunt from Megan Honaker. After a foul out, Kayla Bishton lined a RBI single to centerfield giving the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage.

UNCG answered in the bottom of the first as junior Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) blasted a three-run home run to centerfield to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead. Geiner earned an infield single to start the frame and stole second base. After a fly out, Geiner moved to third and junior Nicole Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) worked a walk. L. Thomas launched her ninth home run of the season and her 39^th of her career. 

In the second inning, the Spartans added three more runs to take a 6-1 lead against Radford. Freshman Gabrielle Cubbage (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) walked and Madruga singled to right center to start the inning. Geiner singled to centerfield to load the bases. After a out, Nicole Thomas earned a RBI walk to make it 4-1 UNCG. Sophomore Tory Wright (Potomac Falls, Va./Dominion) came through with a two out two-run single up the middle giving the Spartans a 6-1 lead.

The Highlanders cut the lead to 6-2 after a solo home run from Mantel to leadoff the third inning. It was Mantel's seventh of the season.

UNCG took a 7-2 lead after Wright picked up a RBI off a sacrifice fly. Nicole Thomas roped a leadoff double and pinch-runner Rachael McClaskey (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) moved to third off a groundout. Wright earned her 22^nd RBI of the season with the sacrifice fly. Redshirt freshman Sidney Grkman (Salisbury, N.C./Jesse Carson) singled to start the inning. Freshman Alexis Overdiep (Apex, N.C./Apex) pinch-ran and moved to second off a sacrifice bunt. Madruga singled to left field and moved to third after Overdiep was caught in a rundown at third base. The Spartans took a 8-2 lead after Madruga came racing home after a wild pitch.           

UNCG 8, Radford 4

In game two, Lindsay Thomas hit a go-ahead two-run blast in the sixth inning and Cubbage hit a two-run home run in the same inning to help propel UNCG to a 8-4 win against Radford.

Bazonski earns the win in relief after throwing five scoreless innings and had five strikeouts improving to 10-8 on the season. Kelsey Weddle took the loss falling to 3-13 after allowing four earned runs off nine hits in relief.

Lindsay Thomas went 3-for-3 with a triple short of the cycle and had a two-run home run. Senior Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a triple.

UNCG took a early 4-0 lead off four hits and a Radford error in the second inning. Alcala tripled to right center to leadoff the inning. Cubbage earned a RBI sacrifice fly to put the Spartans in front 1-0. Madruga reached on a hit by pitch and moved to second off a sacrifice bunt from Overdiep. Geiner singled and Vega followed with a RBI single. After a walk, Lindsay Thomas lined a two-run double down the left field line to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead.       

The Highlanders answered with four runs off six hits and a UNCG error. Megan Honaker singled and Whitney Davis doubled to start the rally. After a throwing error, Radford had the bases loaded when MacKenzie Blackwell singled home a run. Casey Burns cut the lead to 4-2 after a RBI single to left field. Maggie Rowe tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run single to right field. Bazonski came on in relief and limited the damage by keeping the game tied at 4-4.

The Spartans regained the lead scoring four runs off four hits in the sixth inning. Nicole Thomas doubled to start the inning and Lindsay Thomas blasted a two-run home run off the scoreboard to give UNCG a 6-4 lead. Alcala kept the inning going with a single and Cubbage smashed a home run to deep centerfield making it 8-4 Spartans.

In the seventh inning, Bazonski finished the game with a 1-2-3 inning and had a swinging strikeout to end the victory for UNCG.

The Blue and Gold head to Greenville, S.C. for a three-game conference series against Furman starting with a doubleheader Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m.