Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Spartan Softball earned a come-from-behind victory over the Kansas Jayhawks to wrap up play at the Jacksonville University Invitational on Sunday afternoon at the Pruitt Softball Complex. UNCG has now won four-straight games and are off to a 4-1 start. Kansas, receiving votes in both NCAA polls, falls to 2-3 on the season, with a pair of losses to the Blue and Gold.
Five Spartans earned multiple hits as UNCG pounded out 13 on the day. Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood), Rachael McClaskey (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook), and Nicole Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) each finished with two hits and two runs scored. McClaskey and Nicole Thomas added one and two RBI respectively.
Stephanie Bryden (Orlando, Fla./East River) and Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) did the bulk of the damage from the middle of the order. Bryden pounded out three hits, three RBI and a run scored. Vega picked up two hits and her first home run of the season in the sixth inning. Vega brought in four runs on a grand slam and scored a run.
Through five games, Bryden, Lindsay Thomas and Nicole Thomas are hitting .615, .647, and .625 respectively and the Spartans are hitting for a .372 team average. UNCG scored an average of ten runs per game during opening weekend.
Bryden continued to produce on the mound, earning her third win in as many games. Bryden logged her second complete game, hurling 7.0 innings, allowing 11 hits, eight runs, all earned, walking four and posting a career-high seven strike outs.
The Jayhawks took a lead early, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. A single by Lily Behrmann and a double from Chaley Brickey put runners on second and third for Danielle Chavez. Chavez connected for her second home run in as many games against UNCG, giving KU the early 3-0 lead.
The Spartans battled back, adding a pair of runs in their half of the first frame. McClaskey and Nicole Thomas hit back-to-back singles to set the stage for Bryden. Bryden worked an eight-pitch at bat before smashing a double to the gap in left center to bring home McClaskey and Nicole Thomas and trim the Jayhawk lead to 3-2.
UNCG knotted the game up in the bottom of the third inning. Lindsay Thomas led off with a double to the gap in left center and moved to third on the McClaskey sacrifice. Nicole Thomas drilled a single to right field to bring the run in and tie the game up 3-3 after the third inning.
KU forged ahead, using another three run home run to double up the Spartans in the top of the fifth inning. Chavez singled and moved to second on a single from Jessie Roane. Shannon McGinley got a hold of one and sent it over the right field wall to give the Jayhawks a 6-3 lead.
The Spartans were able to take their first lead of the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bryden started the inning with a single through the left side and moved to third after an Alexis Overdiep (Apex, N.C./Apex) single and an Emily Lopez (Charlotte, N.C./Olympic) fielder's choice. Gabrielle Cubbage (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) came in for an injured Kendall McKinney (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett) and delivered a single up the middle to bring in Bryden. After a Lindsay Thomas walk loaded the bases, McClaskey singled to centerfield to bring in Lopez and trim the lead to one run. Nicole Thomas and Wright each drew bases loaded walks to give the Spartans a narrow 7-6 lead. Bryden earned her second single of the inning, taking an 0-2 pitch back up the middle to bring home McClaskey. Vega added the exclamation point on the inning, belting a grand slam to give the Spartans a commanding 12-6 lead. All UNCG runs came with two outs in the inning.
KU added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, and brought the tying run to the plate before Bryden induced a ground out to end the game.
The Spartans return to action on February 19th, at the University of South Carolina Tournament. UNCG will open with a double header against Longwood and South Carolina, starting at 2:30 p.m.
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