UNC Greensboro Softball Splits Doubleheader with Western Carolina Former Newton-Conover standout Loftin hits RBI single for Game 1 victory on April 20

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team took the series win against Western Carolain behind a 6-5 eight-inning victory, but then fell to the Catamounts in five innings, 13-5, on Saturday, at Catamount Softball Complex in The Southern Conference (SoCon) play.

GAME 1: UNCG 6 – WCU 5 (8 INNINGS)

UNCG got off to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After a leadoff walk by Brooklynn Maxwell, the Spartans moved her around the bases to score on Jorde Chartrand’s single up the middle, 1-0. Betsy Eatmon later hit a single to left center, driving in Chartrand and Grace Loftin, 3-0. With the bases loaded for the second time in the game, Tori Dalehite walked to bring home the fourth run.

In the circle, Rhyann Jones retired the first six batters of the game and kept the Catamounts scoreless through the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Western Carolina scored four runs on four hits to tie the game at four, 4-4.

Maycin Brown put UNCG ahead once more in the top of the sixth with her third home run of the season, 5-4. Western Carolina responded late in the bottom of the seventh as Becka Wonsick extended the game with a solo home run to center field tying the game at five, 5-5.

With two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the eighth, Loftin singled down the left field line, scoring Rylie Williams from second for a 6-5 advantage. Western Carolina put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but UNCG’s defense retired the side with a double play to secure the win.

PITCHING RECORDS

Salem Ward: W, 7-6 Reese Byrd: Save, 1 Taylor Norton: L, 3-4

GAME 2: WCU 13 – UNCG 5 (5 INNINGS)

After a scoreless first inning, Western Carolina put up five runs on four hits for a 5-0 lead.

UNCG responded in the top of the third by cutting the deficit to three, 5-2, on Eatmon’s two-run double to left center, scoring Loftin and Brown.

The Catamounts offense continued in the bottom of the third adding six runs on four hits and one error for an 11-2 advantage.

Brown took hold of a 1-2 count in the top of the fourth crushing it over the left field fence for a three-run blast, cutting the deficit to six, 11-5.

Western Carolina added another run in the bottom of the fourth on Tessa Juett’s solo home run and then an RBI single from Sydney Dirks in the bottom of the fifth to secure a 13-5 victory in five innings.

PITCHING RECORDS

Maddie Spell: L, 8-7 Tessa Juett: W, 11-12

RECORDS:

UNCG: 27-21, 9-6 SoCon WCU: 14-27, 5-10 SoCon

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The Spartans will host instate foe Charlotte for a midweek battle on Wednesday, April 24 at the UNCG Softball Stadium with a first pitch slated for 6:00 p.m. It will be a Bark in the Park event.