GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team erased any doubt as to who the best program in the Southern Conference is with a powerful performance.
Mammoth home runs from
Jasmine Palmer,
Makenna Matthijs, and
Kayleigh Willis along with the superb pitching of
Morgan Scott and its blue-ribbon defense fueled UNCG's 5-0 victory over Western Carolina Sunday at sun splashed UNCG Softball Stadium.
With the victory, the Spartans won their fourth consecutive SoCon regular season championship. They will host the four-team SoCon tournament beginning Thursday.
"This is something we had been working for all season," Matthijs said. "Coming into this weekend, we knew what we had to do. We knew that Western was a tough team because they'd been playing well all season. We came in really prepared and our coaches had us prepared especially hitting wise. It was so fun."
The Spartan coronation became official at 2:38 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time after shortstop
Brooklynn Maxwell fielded a ground ball and fired a dart to first baseman
Melanie Darges.
Once the ball settled safely into Darges' glove, it touched off a wild celebration as the Spartans flowed out of their dugout like lava from a volcano and gathered around Scott. With fans standing and cheering, Spartan hearts leaped with excitement as the players and coaches jumped for joy and hugged one another.
There was plenty to celebrate as UNCG overcame a slow start to the SoCon season that featured a three-game skid in early April and a talented Western Carolina team having a great season. It was a title that was earned the hard way.
The Spartans entered the weekend trailing WCU by 1.5 games and needing to win all three contests to add to their championship collection. Mission accomplished. UNCG finished in first place by the same 1.5 game margin.
In three games crackling with intensity, hustle, and sweat, UNCG capped off a dominating weekend sweep by outscoring the Catamounts, 23-2. The Spartans had more home runs (eight) than the Catamounts had hits (seven) during the three-game sweep.
Scott and
Hannah Stiltner compiled a 0.39 earned run average and held WCU to a .119 batting average.
Following an emotional pre-game ceremony honoring seniors
Kylie Bouplon,
Monica Pepe, Willis and Palmer, the Spartans flexed their offensive muscle with three mighty swings.
Palmer hit a two-run homer in the second inning following a
Maycin Brown walk to start the scoring. Matthijs extended her hitting streak to 12 games with a solo blast in the third inning. One batter later, Willis slammed a ball over the centerfield fence.
The three home runs raised UNCG's single-season program record to 80. Just an astonishing number.
That was more than enough for Scott, who allowed two hits and did not permit a runner to reach third base. Scott threw an economical 76 pitches to notch her 17th victory of the season. It was Scott's 18th complete game and her fifth shutout of 2021.
"This has been our goal since the fall," UNCG head coach
Janelle Breneman said. "I knew we could do it and I knew we could get three games. There was never a doubt. I am proud of my team from top to bottom. This weekend, we were outstanding in all three facets of the game. We pitched, we hit and played defense. To throw a shutout in game three and a two-hitter at that, you can't get better than that. I love the way Morgan competes. She was sharp in hitters counts and she threw outstanding."
