GREENSBORO, N.C. – Looking to climb back to the top of the conference standings, UNCG returns to Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Samford Friday and Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Spartans and Bulldogs will open the series with a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1:00 p.m. before wrapping things up Saturday with a single game at the same time. The weekend series will not feature a video broadcast but Maegan Sloggett will have the call on your radio dial through UNCGSpartans.com.
UNCG enters the weekend with a 4-2 SoCon record, good for third-place in the league standings. The 4-2 start is the best for the Spartans since 2013, when UNCG opened conference play 5-1.
UNCG is hoping to rebound from Tuesday's 7-2 loss to Charlotte in Greensboro. The Spartans struggled to get the offense going against 49er starting pitcher Haley Wiseman, who brought a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Despite the Blue and Gold's offensive struggles, Jasmine Palmer (Lake Biltmore, N.C./Florida State) was on her game, reaching in all four plate appearances with a double, a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Samford comes into the weekend with an 18-25 overall record, including a 6-3 mark in league play. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games, including a doubleheader road sweep of Tennessee Tech on Wednesday.
Shelby Maze leads the Bulldogs with a .429 batting average, with 61 of her 67 hits going for singles. Abby Sweeney has smacked a team-high seven home runs and leads the team with 31 RBIs.
Grey Adams has made 26 appearances in the circle, including 19 starts. Adams is holding opposing batters to a .218 average at the plate, posting a 3.06 ERA. Her one bugaboo, however, would be her command. Adams has allowed 68 walks on the year, 12 more than any other SoCon player.
Adams is joined in the rotation by Jessica Stone and Taylor DeCelles. Stone has registered a 3.00 ERA in her 11 starts, making 19 total appearances. DeCelles has made nine starts for the Bulldogs and has tallied a 5.09 ERA in her 19 appearances on the rubber.
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