Cullowhee, N.C. – The UNCG softball team (22-14, 0-2 SoCon) dropped its first two games of the Southern Conference season, 13-5 and 7-6, to Western Carolina (25-11, 4-1 SoCon) Saturday afternoon. The Spartans will look to avoid the series sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. in the final game of the series.

Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) and Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) combined to go 4-for-9 with five runs batted in in the losses.

Thomas started things off early for UNCG in game one with a solo home run in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Western Carolina answered back in the bottom half of the frame with two runs to take their first lead of the game. The Catamounts would score two more runs in the bottom of the second for a 4-1 lead. The Spartans cut the lead to one run after back-to-back RBI singles from Sidney Grkman (Salisbury, N.C./Jesse Carson) and Tory Wright (Potomac Falls, Va./Dominion).

WCU didn't falter however and chased three-time SoCon Pitcher of the Week Alicia Bazonski (Sheffield, Mass./Mount Everett) out of the game after she allowed her fifth run in the bottom of the third inning for a 5-3 Catamount lead.

UNCG would turn to Danica Bishop (Irvine, Calif./Nebraska) and Lacey Leary (Norwood, N.C./Spartanburg Methodist) but the Catamounts added four more runs for a 9-3 lead before escaping the inning.

Kendall McKinney (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett) hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning but it would be the only run of the inning for UNCG.  Leary worked a scoreless inning in the bottom of the fourth, the first of the game for WCU.

Hagan Kiser (Asheboro, N.C./Southwestern) hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth but Western Carolina had a four-run bottom of the fifth inning to end the game by mercy rule after a two-RBI single gave the Catamounts an eight-run lead.

Bazonski (12-3) was hit with her third loss of the season allowing five runs on five hits.

Western Carolina was led by Crystal Cyr who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, a walk and two runs scored.

Game two got off to a different start as Taylor Sigmon struck out the side to start the game. Stephanie Bryden (Orlando, Fla./East River) responded in the bottom half of the inning starting things off with a strikeout and retired the next two Catamounts in order.

UNCG got on the board first in the top of the fourth inning with a RBI single by Thomas followed by a RBI groundout from Rachael McClaskey (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook). Vega then smacked a two-run home run, her seventh of the season, to make it a 4-0 game.

A two-run homer by the Catamounts in the bottom half of the inning cut the lead in half but UNCG added a run in the top of the fourth for a three-run lead. WCU once again answered back in the bottom of the fourth and after setting UNCG down in order in the top of the fifth, took a 7-5 lead with a four-run bottom of the fifth inning.

A scoreless sixth inning on both ends would send UNCG to the plate for their final three outs. UNCG was able to get the tying run on third base but WCU secured the win after Gabrielle Cubbage (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) grounded out with bases loaded.

Bryden was dished her eighth loss of the season and moves to 8-8 overall. She struck out five batters and walked just one but allowed all seven runs in the loss.

Vega was the only Spartan to record a multi-hit game on the day and UNCG improved hits home run streak to seven straight games.

The Spartans return to action against the Catamounts in the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 3. Fans can watch all the action live on the SoCon Digital Network.

-UNCG-