ETSU Softball Sweeps UNCG and Sets New School Record
ETSU Softball Sweeps UNCG and Sets New School Record
Saturday, March 16, 2002
Greensboro, NC (March 16, 2002) � Centerfielder Danielle Spetar (Knoxville, Tenn.) went 4-of-7 with four RBI and two home runs over two games to lead East Tennessee State to a sweep over UNC Greensboro in a Southern Conference softball doubleheader this afternoon in Greensboro, NC. ETSU set a new school record for runs in a 13-2 win over the Spartans in game one, and held off a late UNCG rally in the second game for a 4-3 victory. The Lady Bucs record their first-ever wins over UNCG after the Spartans won all four meetings last year. ETSU moves to 12-10 on the year, and open its SoCon season at 2-0, while UNCG falls to 18-12-1 and 0-2 with its fourth straight loss. The 13-2 loss was the worst for UNCG since a 15-1 loss at Georgia Southern on April 24, 1999. Lindsay Lane (Erwin, Tenn.) provided all the offense ETSU needed in game one in the top of the second with a three-run homer. UNCG scored once in the bottom of the frame, as Penny Thompson scored on a error by the catcher to make the score 3-1. Both teams added a run in the third. Kim Benningfield hit a RBI double to plate Tabitha Lewis in the bottom of the third to make the score 4-2. That would be the last run of the game for the Spartans, and ETSU blew the game open with nine runs in the seventh inning, which included a three-run blast from Spetar and a solo homer from Tiffany Vandergriff (Sale Creek, Tenn.). Amber Watson took the loss for UNCG, as she started on the mound and gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits in 2.2 innings. Courtney Jenkins (Knoxville, Tenn.)scattered two runs off five hits over seven innings to earn the complete game victory. In game two, Vandergriff allowed just two runs over five innings to earn her third win of the season), and hit the game-winning three-run blast in the fifth to help her cause. ETSU first scored in the fourth on Spetar's second homer of the day for a 1-0 lead. UNCG finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. The first two Spartans were walked when Jenkins relieved Vandergriff. Kristy Norton then hit a RBI double to score Benningfield, and Thompson's sac fly scored Jennifer Aguilar for the first two runs of the inning. With two outs, Christine Sweeney singled to centerfield to score Norton, but the Spartans couldn't manage the tying run. Spear was 2-of-3 with a RBI to lead ETSU, while six Spartans all had one hit. Amy Poole took the loss for UNCG, allowing four runs on four hits in 4.2 innings of action. The two teams will play the third and final game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm at Campus Field.