UNCG Advances to Softball Championship Game

UNCG 12, Samford 2

Box Score - PDF

Greensboro, N.C. – The Spartans tallied eight hits, including three homers, and ended No.9-seed Samford’s historical run through the tournament with a 12-2 semifinal victory. The Spartans got two home runs from SoCon Freshman of the Year Lindsay Thomas and a complete game from Erica Navarette to advance to tomorrow’s single elimination championship game.

Lindsay Thomas went 3-for-3 with five RBIs to lead the Spartans, while Eileen Horsmon was 2-for-2 with a walk and three RBIs. Pitcher Erica Navarette threw 5.0 innings, allowing four hits and two runs. She game up zero walks and struck out four.

Abby Adams went 2-for-2 with a run scored to lead Samford, while Callie Brister was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Shelby Scott was handed her first loss of the tournament, throwing 3.0 innings and allowing five hits, four runs, one walk and a strikeout.

UNCG jumped out to an early lead over the Bulldogs, getting two consecutive hits off of Shelby Scott, including a leadoff double by Aisha Figueroa and an RBI single by Lindsay Thomas. Two batters later, Heather Robb sent a two-run shot to left field to give the Spartans a 3-0 advantage. New pitcher Misha Aldridge worked around a two-out stolen base to end the UNCG damage.

In the top of the second inning, Dominique Madruga was hit by a pitch, the Allison Geiner laid down a bunt single. Two batters later, SoCon Freshman of the Year Lindsay Thomas hammered a ball deep centerfield to put the Spartans on top 6-0. After two Samford errors to put runners on, Eileen Horsmon sent an RBI double down the left-field line to put the Spartans ahead 7-0. Pinch-hitter Toni MacReynolds then scored Heather Robb on a sacrifice fly before new Samford pitcher Caitlin Bice got a ground out to end the UNCG scoring.

UNCG continued their offense in the top of the third. Madruga lef-off the inning by reaching base on a Samford error. Two batters later, Aubrey Baldwin reached on another Samford error and Lindsay Thomas walked to load the bases. Samford then walked in a run, before Eileen Horsmon sent a two-out single to center to extend the Spartan lead to 11-0.

Samford got on the board in the bottom of the third. Abby Adams sent a lead-off single up the middle, followed by a Caroline Seay single to left. Megan Dowdy grounded out to second to move up the runners, the Kayla Shaffer scored Abby Adams with a sacrifice fly. Callie Brister then singled up the middle to score Seay and cut the UNCG lead to 11-2.

Samford tried to cut into the UNCG lead in the bottom of the fourth, but left the bases loaded after Navarette got Dowdy to ground out to the shortstop.

The Spartans added to their lead in the top of the fifth with Lindsay Thomas sending her second homer of the game to centerfield with one out to push the UNCG lead to 12-2, which would stand as the final.

UNCG improved to 38-18 on the year and will face the winner of the College of Charleston/Georgia Southern game in tomorrow’s 1:00 p.m. championship. Samford finishes the 2013 season at 17-35.