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March 17, 2013
Softball Run-Rules WCU to Sweep SoCon Series, 11-1
Box score (PDF)
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The UNCG softball team scored 11 runs to run-rule Western Carolina, 11-1, in five innings to sweep the season series Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex.
The Spartans improve to 21-4, 4-1 on the season, while WCU falls to 8-17, 1-5 in the SoCon.
Redshirt junior Raeanne Hanks (Rainier, Ore./Rainier Senior) improved to 12-1 on the season after throwing a complete game allowing only one earned run on two hits. Freshman Taylor Sigmon took the loss to fall to 0-3 after allowing four earned runs in 2.2 innings of work.
The offense has three hitters who each had multiple hits in sophomore Tatiana Alcala (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica), junior Katelyn Bedwell (Surrey, B.C./Elgin Park) and senior Eileen Horsmon (Dunkirk, Md./Northern). All three also finished with two runs scored apiece.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Alcala came home on a WCU error. Alcala singled to centerfield to start the inning and stole her eighth base to move into scoring position. After a strikeout, Alcala moved to third with one out. Freshman Allison Geiner (Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek) tried to put on a sacrifice squeeze but couldn't lay down a bunt leading to a rundown that WCU's shortstop dropped the ball allowing Alcala to score from third.
The Spartans scored three runs thanks to a couple of Western Carolina errors in the third inning. With two outs, Bedwell singled up the middle and stole second base to move into scoring position. Horsmon lined a shot off the third base bag to score Bedwell from second. UNCG has 61 RBI with two outs. Classmate Heather Robb (Apex, N.C./Middle Creek) worked a walk to set up runners on first and second. Alcala picked up her second hit with a single through the infield that WCU's rightfielder Amber Kimrey mishandled allowing Horsmon to score. Junior Toni MacReynolds (Vienna, Va./James Madison) reached on an error by the third baseman Haley Pace, giving UNCG a 4-0 advantage.
Western Carolina cut the lead with an RBI single up the middle from Heather Chastain in the bottom of the fourth. Amber Steinhardt worked a one out walk to start the rally for the Catamount. Morgan Blanton came in to pinch-run and moved to third on two wild pitches. Chastain came through with WCU's first hit of the contest to bring home Blanton.
In the top of the fifth, UNCG batted around to scored seven runs on five hits to take a commanding 11-1 lead. Freshman Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) had a crushing three-run shot to right field and Bedwell went back-to-back with a solo bomb to left field in the inning. Another Western Carolina throwing error led to two runs scoring and MacReynolds added a sacrifice fly.
UNCG returns home to take on Towson Wednesday, March 20 at 5 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
Be sure to follow all updates about the UNCG softball season on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports/@UNCGsoftball.
