GREENSBORO -- Right-hander
Morgan Scott struck out a career-best 14 batters, and center fielder
Makenna Matthijs homered and drove in five runs as UNCG won the opener 11-3 on the way to a doubleheader split with Elon at UNCG Softball Stadium on Saturday.
The 14 strikeouts are the third-most in a single game in UNCG softball program history.
Third baseman
Maycin Brown finished the afternoon a combined 6-for-7 with two doubles and three RBIs for the Spartans (11-6), who lost the second game 6-4 as Elon (7-9) wriggled out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh inning to turn back a UNCG rally.
Matthijs and catcher
Delaney Cumbie hit back-to-back home runs -- Matthijs' was a grand slam -- in the bottom of the second inning of the opener.
That was more than enough offense for Scott, who pitched her fifth complete game in nine starts. The sophomore from Irmo, S.C., gave up two earned runs on five hits and five walks while striking out 14. Scott is 5-3 with a 2.78 ERA so far this season, with 61 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. Opponents are batting just .215 against her.
Cumbie, a junior, went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer in the opener. Brown, a sophomore, was also 3-for-3 with a double, while senior right fielder
Katie Stettler was 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
Brown went 3-for-4 with a double in the second game, raising her batting average to .480 and her on-base percentage to .581 so far this season. Stettler hit a solo home run, her third of the season, while senior second baseman
Jasmine Palmer went 2-for-4 with a double.
Sophomore left-hander
Alex Rodriguez (0-1, 5.60 ERA) gave up three earned runs on five hits in two innings to take the loss for UNCG. Freshman right-hander
Alina Varga retired all 11 batters she faced, striking out four, to finish the game and keep the Spartans in striking distance.
Trailing 6-3 heading into the seventh, UNCG loaded the bases with one out. Brown's RBI single extended the rally, but Elon lefty Alexa Nemeth got her eighth strikeout of the game and coaxed a groundout to end it.
Elon junior center fielder Rebecca Murray went 4-for-6 with a home run and two RBIs in the doubleheader.
The Spartans and Phoenix will play another doubleheader at 1 p.m. Sunday at Elon's Hunt Softball Park.
