GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team had a home run party at the UNCG Softball Stadium Saturday afternoon in its Southern Conference (SoCon) opener against Mercer.
The Spartans took two wins, defeating the Bears 15-4 and 12-4, both in five innings.
UNCG launched 10 home runs in the two games, five each contest. The five were a season best for the Spartans.
The 10 homers were spread among seven Spartans, including four from
Jordan Gontram, two from
Maycin Brown, and one each from
Delaney Cumbie,
Samantha Lagrama,
Grace Loftin, and
Blayke Batten.
Gontram's two each game were her fourth-career and fifth-career multi-home run games. Gontram brought her career total to 44 home runs to move up to third in UNCG records.
From Gontram
"I felt really relaxed and confident with my swing today and attacked pitches in the zone. We were excited the whole week about going into conference play and wanted to start it off with a bang. We took two from Mercer and our offense was absolutely on fire today, so I'd say we accomplished that!"
GAME 1: UNCG 15, Mercer 4 (5 inn.)
RECORDS
UNCG: 18-10, 1-0 SoCon
Mercer: 7-22, 0-1 SoCon
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UNCG's eight runs in the first inning matched its most this season.
- The last time was on Feb. 26 versus Bucknell, where the Spartans won 10-1.
- Batten's solo homer extended the Spartans' lead to nine in the bottom of the second.
- Mercer scored its first run in the top of the third on a RBI single from K Harvey.
- Morgan Scott struck out six in the game for her 11th win on the season.
- The Bears looked to fight back in the top of the fourth by scoring three runs to cut the deficit to 15-4.
NOTES
- This is the third time this season that a Spartan has hit two home runs in a game.
- Delaney Cumbie hit her sixth home run on the season, 25th of her career.
- Blayke Batten crushed her seventh home run on the season, ninth in her career.
- Grace Loftin lifted out her sixth home run of the season.
- UNCG leads the series 18-9.
- This was the 23rd game this season with at least one home run.
- This was the 15th game with two or more home runs.
- This was the ninth time this season with double-digit hits, totaling 14.
- This was the fifth time this season with double-digit runs, totaling 15.
PITCHING RECORDS
Morgan Scott: W, 11-6
Riley Hickok: L, 2-9
GAME 2: UNCG 12, Mercer 4 (5 inn.)
RECORDS
UNCG: 19-10, 2-0 SoCon
Mercer: 7-23, 0-2 SoCon
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Spartans crushed at least one home run an inning in game two.
- Brown started the home run rally in game two in the top of the first, and Gontram blasted the second of the game later that inning.
- Brown hit her second homer of the game, for her first-career multi-home run game in the bottom of the second inning for a 6-0 advantage.
- Mercer scored two runs each in the third and fifth innings, but UNCG's eight-run lead was enough for the win.
- Freshman pitcher Reese Byrd struck out five and kept the Bears hitless until the top of the third inning.
NOTES
- Brown crushed her fourth and fifth home runs of the season, bringing her career total to 15.
- Gontram homered in the first and fourth innings.
- This is the fourth and fifth time this season that a Spartan has hit two home runs in a game.
- This is the second time that two from UNCG hit two homers each.
- UNCG leads the series 19-9.
- This was the 24th game this season with at least one home run.
- This was the 16th game with two or more home runs.
- This was the 10th time this season with double-digit hits, totaling 11.
- This was the sixth time this season with double-digit runs, totaling 12.
PITCHING RECORDS
Reese Byrd: W, 6-3
Katie Rearley: L, 2-5
ON DECK
The Spartans conclude the series with Mercer tomorrow, Sunday, March 27 with a first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at UNCG Softball Stadium.
