CULLOWHEE, N.C. – With two wins over Western Carolina on Saturday that only involved home runs for the runs, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team has now won 10-straight regular season games against SoCon opponents dating back to the 2021 season.
The Spartans won with scores of 3-0 and 7-2 at Catamount Softball Complex.
This is the first road series for UNCG since March 19 and it has now won eight-straight games. The Spartans have also on 13-straight overall games against conference foes, including postseason games.
Out of the 11 hits on the day, UNCG had six home runs. Senior
Delaney Cumbie had one in each game.
With the third shutout of the season, junior
Morgan Scott struck out nine for her first-collegiate complete game one-hitter.
From Brooklynn Maxwell
"When I got in the box, I was just looking to jump on the inside pitch and that's what I got first pitch so I went for it. I think these conference wins are going to give the whole team confidence to know we can trust the defense and the pitching for the rest of the games we play."
GAME 1: UNCG 3 – Western Carolina 0
RECORDS
UNCG: 23-10, 4-0 SoCon
Western Carolina: 15-16, 2-3 SoCon
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Brooklynn Maxwell smashed the first pitch of her at bat in the top of the second over the left field wall to give the Spartans a 2-0 advantage.
- Delaney Cumbie put up the Spartans' second homer on the day with a solo shot to center field for a 3-0 lead.
- The Catamounts broke through with their first hit of the day in the bottom of the sixth.
- Scott retired the side with her eighth strikeout of the game.
- Western Carolina saw a leadoff walk from Bailey Huneycutt, but the Spartans turned a double play clearing the bases and Scott closed the game with her ninth strikeout of the game.
NOTES
- This was the 27th game with at least one home run out of 33 games played.
- This was the 19th game this season with two or more homers.
- Cumbie went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run.
- Cumbie hit her seventh homer of the season, 26th of her career.
- Maxwell crushed her fourth home run of the season, sixth of her career.
- UNCG leads the series 32-20.
PITCHING RECORDS
Morgan Scott: W, 14-6
Savannah Rice: L, 8-5
GAME 2: UNCG 7 – Western Carolina 2
RECORDS
UNCG: 24-10, 5-0 SoCon
Western Carolina: 15-17, 2-4 SoCon
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Spartans had a 4-0 advantage in the top of the third with two two-run homers from Makenna Matthijs and Jessie Shipley.
- The Catamounts cut the deficit to 4-2 with back to back solo home runs from Huneycutt and Myra Twitty.
- Reese Byrd struck out three-straight batters in the bottom of the second.
- In the bottom of the first, Western Carolina loaded the bases for the only time all day.
- Byrd got out of the jam with a grounder to shortstop and then a pop up to third base.
- Lagrama added to the Spartans' lead with a solo shot to left center, 5-2.
- Cumbie's two-run blast in the top of the seventh gave UNCG insurance runs for a 7-2 win.
NOTES
- Six different Spartans recorded the hits.
- Cumbie went 1-for-4 with one run and two RBI.
- Cumbie hit her second homer of the day, bringing her season total to eight and her career to 27.
- Matthijs also went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
- Matthijs cranked her ninth home run of the season, 35th of her career.
- Samantha Lagrama went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run.
- Lagrama blasted her eighth home run of the season, for her 22nd of her career.
- Shipley went 1-for-2 with two RBI and 2 runs scored.
- Shipley crushed her fourth homer of the season.
- This was the 28th game with at least one home run out of 34 games played.
- This was the 20th game this season with two or more homers.
- This was the third game this season with four home runs.
- UNCG leads the series 33-20.
PITCHING RECORDS
Reese Byrd: W, 8-3
Tessa Juett: L, 3-6
ON DECK
The Spartans close out the three-game series with a single game tomorrow, Sunday, April 3 against Western Carolina at the Catamount Softball Complex with a first pitch at 1:00 p.m.
