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Box Score 2 CHATTANOOGA --
Hannah Kincer hit a tie-breaking home run leading off the top of the ninth inning in the second game, and UNCG swept a key doubleheader from host Chattanooga on Saturday.
With the two victories, the Spartans (20-14 overall, 5-3 SoCon) moved past the Mocs (9-20, 5-5 SoCon) into second place in the Southern Conference standings. UNCG trails only Western Carolina (18-18, 9-1 SoCon) with 10 league games left in the Spartans' regular season, the final three head-to-head against the Catamounts.
The Spartans moved up by winning both ends of Saturday's doubleheader in their final turns at bat.
UNCG scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a 6-3 win in the first game, then needed extra innings to beat the Mocs 8-6 in the second game.
Kincer, a junior outfielder, hit a 2-1 pitch from Chattanooga pitcher Hannah Wood over the center field fence at Jim Frost Stadium to break a 6-6 tie in the second game.
Freshman shortstop
Brooklynn Maxwell, who had missed the last eight games heading into the doubleheader, scored an insurance run when she singled with one out and scored on junior
Delaney Cumbie's two-out RBI double.
Sophomore right-hander
Morgan Scott retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, striking out Chattanooga's last two hitters to seal it.
Scott (11-7, 2.43 ERA) was the winning pitcher in both games. She pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing three unearned runs and striking out 10 in seven innings. In the second game, Scott faced 10 batters in three shutout innings of relief and struck out three.
Scott increased her league-leading strikeout total to 142 in 115 innings.
Senior designated player
Kayleigh Willis had a big day. Willis went 1-for-3 in the first game with an RBI single in the seventh inning that broke a 3-3 tie. In the second game, she was 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in the sixth inning to help the Spartans rally from a 5-0 deficit.
Kincer went 2-for-3 in the first game, and her RBI single capped the seventh-inning rally. Willis, Kincer,
Jasmine Palmer,
Samantha Lagrama and
Jordan Gontram all drove in runs in the big inning.
Maxwell went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in the second game, and
Katie Stettler was 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit solo home run.
For Chattanooga, lead-off hitter Emily Coltharp finished the doubleheader 5-for-8 with three runs scored, while first baseman Liz Rodenbaugh was 3-for-9 with a double and three RBIs.
UNCG and Chattanooga wrap up the series with a single game at 2 p.m. Sunday.
