ELON, NC – The UNC Greensboro softball team picked up two shutout wins in the first day of action at the Elon Softball Tournament on Saturday. The Spartans defeated St. Francis (PA), 2-0 in the early game and took a 5-0 win over Bucknell in the late game.
UNCG (11-8), who was taking on the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash for the third time this week, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Mary Greenway rounded the bases. Greenway got on base with a base hit during the Spartans first at bat of the inning. She then stole second and third base and came home on a miscue by the St. Francis third baseman.
The Spartans extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a score by Leslie Furness. Furness hit a single up the middle to get on base and first baseman Jennifer Bonilla hit an RBI double to drive the sophomore catcher home.
UNCG was led by Greenway who was 2-for-3 at the plate and Bonilla who had one RBI. Hannah Angel picked up her fourth win of the season and in 7.0 innings of work allowed no runs on five hits. She walked one and had nine strikeouts.
UNCG continued to have the heavy bats in the second game against Bucknell. The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning, when Emily Akiyama connected on a single up the middle for her first collegiate hit. The third baseman stole second base and came home when Brittany Ausley hit an RBI triple.
The Spartans added four more runs in the bottom of the seventh when Ausley, Lyndsay Mouse, Lyndsey Wilson and Heather Branche all crossed home plate.
Akiyama and Branche led the way for UNCG in the second game. Both were 1-for-2 at the plate with one run scored each.
Amber Harrell worked 7.0 innings and allowed no runs on three hits. The shutout victory is Harrell’s first collegiate shutout. The freshman walked one and had five strikeouts on the afternoon
Christie Wiest suffered the loss for Bucknell after allowing one run on four hits. She walked two and had seven strikeouts. Meg Muirhead pitched 1.0 inning in relief and allowed four runs on three hits.
UNCG concludes action at the Elon Softball Tournament on Sunday when they face Norfolk State at 11 am and host Elon at 3 pm.
AGATE
Game One
St. Francis
(PA)
000 000 0 - 0 5 1
UNCG
000 101 X - 2 6 0
Pitchers: St. Francis (PA) - Caldwell. UNCG - Angel,Hannah.
Win-Angel,Hannah(4-3) Loss-Caldwell(0-1) T-1:45
A-0
E-Stroup. DP-SFPA 1. LOB-SFPA 6; UNCG 4. 2B-Bonilla, HBP-Ausley.
SB-Greenway 2. CS-Bender
Game Two
UNCG
000 010 4 - 5 7 1
Bucknell
000 000 0 - 0 3 0
Pitchers: UNCG - Harrell,Amber. Bucknell - Wiest,C;
Muirhead,M(7).
Win-Harrell,Amber(3-4) Loss-Wiest,C(0-1) T-2:00
A-0
E-Akiyama. LOB-UNCG 4, Bucknell 5 3B-Ausley. SH-Akiyama.
SB-Carlson. CS-Okita
- UNCG -