 |  |
Spartans return home to host Liberty on Wednesday
| Game 1 | ||||||||
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty (12-15) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| UNCG (15-18) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 0 |
| @ Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Field | ||||||||
| Pitching |
|---|
| Win: Josie Felix (5-7) - UNCG |
| Loss: Tiffani Smith (4-9) - Liberty |
| Save: Cory Mattson (2) - UNCG |
| Liberty Batting |
|---|
| 2B: Jenny Law |
| 3B: none |
| HR: Kelly Strickland |
| UNCG Batting |
|---|
| 2B: Aisha Figueroa; Jordan Jewett |
| 3B: none |
| HR: none |
| Game 2 | ||||||||||
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty (12-16) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| UNCG (17-18) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 7 | 10 | 1 |
| @ Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Field | ||||||||||
| Pitching |
|---|
| Win: Raeanne Hanks (4-2) - UNCG |
| Loss: Alyssa DiMartino (1-3) - Liberty |
| Save: Cory Mattson (3) - UNCG |
| Liberty Batting |
|---|
| 2B: Kaylee West |
| 3B: none |
| HR: Kelly Strickland |
| UNCG Batting |
|---|
| 2B: Kaitlin Merkt |
| 3B: none |
| HR: Katelyn Bedwell |
UNCG (15-18) vs. Liberty (12-14), April 6, 3 p.m., UNCG Softball Stadium
LiveStats: UNCGSpartans.com
Storylines
• UNCG will step out of conference when it hosts Liberty for a doubleheader Wednesday at the UNCG Softball Stadium. Game one is set to begin at 3 p.m.
• The Spartans took two of three from Western Carolina over the weekend, dropping the first game before bouncing back with a pair of resounding victories to claim their third straight league series. UNCG's 18-3 win in game two of Saturday's doubleheader set a school record for runs in a Southern Conference game.
• Freshman Aisha Figueroa hit a staggering .750 over the three games, going a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts. Kaitlin Merkt and Heather Robb hit .556 each, with Merkt hitting three home runs and Robb adding two. The two went deep back-to-back in Sunday's 10-1 win. Cory Mattson was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two appearances, allowing just an unearned run in 10 innings of work.
• UNCG is hitting .282 as a team in nonconference games, led by a pair of freshman catchers. Katelyn Bedwell is hitting .350 against nonconference foes, while Toni MacReynolds is hitting .348. Merkt is hitting .347 with three homers and 16 RBI out of conference play.
• With a .600 batting average over her last seven games, junior Jordan Jewett has surged into the team batting lead. She is now hitting .364 on the season, raising her average 83 points since March 26. Merkt is second on the squad with a .357 mark and leads the team with eight homers and 26 RBI. Alex Emeterio is batting .350 on the year. As a team, UNCG is hitting .292, the second-best mark in the SoCon.
• In the circle, Mattson is 8-9 with a 4.18 ERA and has won four of her last five decisions. She leads the SoCon in innings pitched at 117 1/3 and complete games with 12. Freshman Josie Felix is 4-7 with a 4.92 ERA, while sophomore Raeanne Hanks is 3-2 with a 6.30 ERA. Emeterio has made six appearances but has yet to register a decision. She has a 9.33 ERA but is allowing opposing batters to hit just .263, the best mark on the staff.
• UNCG leads the series with Liberty 25-11. The Spartans have won 12 of the last 17 between the teams, but they split a doubleheader in Lynchburg, Va., last season. UNCG won a wild game one 11-10 in 9 innings, getting a pinch-hit, two-out grand slam from Katie Stripling in the top of the ninth and holding on for the win. UNCG led 5-0 in the game but saw Liberty score six in the fifth, highlighted by Kelly Strickland's grand slam. Merkt drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to send the game to extras. Liberty earned its revenge in game two, overcoming UNCG's early 1-0 lead with seven unanswered runs in cruising to the 10-2 win.
• The Lady Flames have won four of their last six games, including taking two of three from Winthrop over the weekend. The teams split a doubleheader on Saturday, with Liberty taking game one 13-6 and Winthrop grabbing a 7-4 win in game two. The Lady Flames claimed the series with a 7-2 win Sunday.
• Senior catcher Keely McMillon is Liberty's leading hitter on the season with a .421 mark, and has brought her average up 239 points since March 18. She has been the Big South Conference Player of the Week in each of the last two weeks. Kelly Strickland is second on the team with a .378 average and has a 12-game hitting streak. She leads the Lady Flames with six home runs. Ashley Bensinger and Jenny Law share the team lead with 18 RBI.
• In the circle, Katrina Johnson is 7-4 with a 1.95 ERA, both team bests. Alyssa DiMartino is 1-2 with a 4.20 mark, while Tiffani Smith is 4-8 with a 4.86 ERA.
- UNCG -
