GREENVILLE, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team got some strong individual efforts during its doubleheader against Furman at Pepsi Field Friday afternoon.
Morgan Scott struck out 12 batters, including nine in a row, during a 4-1 setback in the opening contest. During a 11-7 defeat in the second game, the Spartans had 10 hits and three homers.
Jordan Gontram,
Makenna Matthijs, and
Jasmine Palmer had two hits each.
Maycin Brown had a hit in each game.
In her last two starts, Scott has 21 strikeouts. This was her second double-digit strikeout performance this season. She whiffed 14 Elon hitters on March 20, a total that was the third-best single-game performance in program history.
Unfortunately, after Palmer turned a double into UNCG's lone run and a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, Furman scored in its next three turns at the plate to pull away.
Katie Stettler also tripled in the seventh inning for the Spartans (16-10 overall, 2-3 SoCon).
The second game featured lots of early scoring as each team scored runs in their first four trips to the plate. UNCG led 1-0 in the first inning, 5-3 in the third inning, and 6-5 in the fourth inning. Each time Furman answered with runs to either tie or take the lead.
Gontram drove in a pair of runs with a solo homer in the second and a double in the third inning. Gontram's blast was the 33rd of her career, which moved her into sixth place all-time on the UNCG all-time home run list. It was also her team-leading eighth homer of the season.
Lagrama, who drove in three runs, hit a two-run homer to highlight UNCG's three-run third inning. It was the 27th time this season in which UNCG has scored at least three runs.
Palmer's fourth inning single scored
Delaney Cumbie and put UNCG ahead, 6-5. The Paladins scored six straight runs over their final three turns to the plate to earn the victory.
Palmer's seventh homer of the season in the seventh inning accounted for the Spartans final run of the game. It was also the 119th time in her career that she's crossed the plate.
This was the fifth time this season that UNCG has hit at least three homers in a game.
UNCG and Furman conclude the series with a single game starting at noon on Saturday.
