GREENSBORO – Samantha Lagrama and Melanine Darges homered for the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team during a doubleheader against Longwood at UNCG Softball Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Longwood right-hander Sydney Backstrom pitched her third shutout of the season in the opener, a 2-0 decision, and Lauren Taylor doubled, homered and drove in three runs in the nightcap as the Lancers won the second game, 9-6.
Backstrom (12-9) pitched a three-hitter and struck out nine as Longwood (17-18) won a pitchers' duel in the first game. Taylor went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in the second game, and her two-run homer in the second inning and RBI double in the fifth helped Longwood to an early advantage.
Spartans sophomore right-hander
Morgan Scott (8-6) was the tough-luck losing pitcher in the first game. Scott pitched her 10th complete game of the season, allowing one earned run and striking out six in seven innings. Scott took a shutout into the seventh inning, but Destiny Martinez hit a one-out RBI double to break it up.
Senior center fielder
Makenna Matthijs went 2-for-3 and junior third baseman
Delaney Cumbie went 1-for-2 to account for all UNCG's hits off Backstrom. Cumbie walked in both games, increasing her league-leading total to 27.
In the second game, Lagrama's 2-for-2 performance was highlighted by a third-inning grand slam that pulled UNCG to within, 5-4. Lagrama walked and was hit by a pitch, reaching base in all four of her plate appearances.
Darges was also 2-for-2 and hit her first career home run in the sixth inning, a two-run blast.
Longwood's Alexis Wayland went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the second game, while left-hander Angelina Sherba (2-2) and two relievers pitched around five hits and five walks to hold off UNCG.
UNCG (17-13) has lost six of its last seven games. The Spartans will host Longwood in the series finale at noon Saturday.
