GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team fell to ACC opponent Virginia on Thursday, 6-2, in its home opener at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
Freshman
Salem Ward and senior
Maycin Brown crushed solo home runs to bring UNCG's home run season total to six. Ward's hit was during her first-collegiate at bat for her first-collegiate home run. Brown now has three home runs on the season.
UNCG is now 3-3 on the season, while Virginia is 5-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With one out in the top of the first, Virginia's M.C. Eaton crushed a home run down the right field line for an early 3-0 lead. The Cavaliers added another run late in the frame with a sacrifice fly to left field from Jones, scoring Gilbert, 4-0.
UNCG was denied a base runner until the bottom of the second inning, as
Jorde Chartrand walked with two outs. Chartrand, in the circle retired five-straight between the third and the fourth innings, bringing her strikeout total to six.
Ward entered the circle in the top of the fifth and left two from Virginia on base after Eaton flew out to left and Goldberg was out after the Spartans appealed her leaving early from third. Ward struck out her first batter of the game to retire the side.
The freshman watched a ball cross the plate and on the next pitch she sent it over the left field wall cutting the deficit to three, 4-1, in the bottom of the fifth. Ward then retired three-straight in the top of the sixth, as Virginia got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the frame.
The Cavaliers squeezed across two more runs on a RBI single from Sarah Coon for a 6-1 advantage in the top of the seventh and the Spartans' Brown hit a two-out homer for a score of 6-2 in the bottom of the frame. UNCG threatened with back-to-back walks, as Virginia finished the game with a strikeout.
NOTES
- Ward went 2-for-2 with one RBI, one run scored, and a home run.
- Brooklynn Maxwell and Maycin Brown tallied the Spartans other hits.
- Chartrand recorded six strikeouts in 4.0 innings thrown.
PITCHING RECORDS:
Jorde Chartrand: L, 1-3
Molly Grube: W, 2-1
Jenny Bressler: Save, 1
ON DECK
The Spartans continue a 13-game home stand with its own Spiro Classic this weekend from Saturday, February 18-Sunday, February 19 at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
UNCG will first play Morehead State on Saturday with a first pitch at noon, followed by UNC Wilmington at 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Spartans face the same two opponents at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
