Saturday, March 11, 2006

ROCK HILL, S.C. (March 11, 2006) - The ETSU softball team plated six runs in the fourth inning on its way to downing UNC Greensboro, 8-4, Saturday at the Adidias/Winthrop Invitational.  The Lady Bucs then downed College of Charleston, 4-3, to advance to Sunday's championship round.  ETSU improves to 7-15 with the pair of wins.   

Trailing 3-0 going into the fourth, the Lady Bucs managed six runs on four hits, while taking advantage of one Spartan error.  Mary Catherine Vercoe (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) got the inning started with a lead-off single, followed by a double to left by Jessica Lonsinger (Dale City, Va.). 

Victoria Gast (Germantown, Tenn.), who pinch ran for Vercoe, was the first to score, reaching home on an error by the UNCG first baseman, which also allowed Courtney Jenkins (Knoxville,Tenn) to take first base.

Stephanie Cope (Maryville, Tenn.) then smacked a single to right, plating pinch runner Laura Davies (Hixson, Tenn.) for the Lady Bucs' second score of the frame.   Kate Powell (Johnson City, Tenn.) followed with another single, sending Jenkins home.  Stephanie Gaynord (Manassas, Va.) then drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Cope. 

Amanda Haverman (Kirkwood, Mo.) would account for the final two runs of the inning, driving in Powell and Gaynord while reaching first on a fielder's choice.

UNCG out-hit the Lady Bucs, 10-9, but couldn't recover from ETSU's six-run fourth, scoring only one more run on the game.  Brittany Lehrschall (Leland, N.C.) picked up the win, evening her season mark to 3-3.  Lonsinger, Cope and Briana Knight (Brier, Wash.) each recorded a pair of hits on the game.