Greensboro, N.C.- The Wofford softball team (19-14, 2-4) was swept in both games of a doubleheader against UNCG (26-10, 3-2) on Saturday, March 29, in Greensboro. In game one, the Terriers were closed out in a late game offensive push by the Spartans in a 6-1 loss. In game two, the Terriers scored eight runs but were defeated in eleven innings by UNCG 9-8 on a walk off home run. The Wofford offense left 15 runners on base in the combined two games, unable to score on opportunities when presented to them.
Game 1
It was a pitching duel early as only three hits were given up heading into the bottom of the third inning. In the bottom of the third, back-to-back doubles by the UNCG offense gave them a 2-0 lead. The Wofford offense responded in the top of the fifth with an Abby Gossett groundout that scored a runner to cut the lead down to 2-1. However, the Spartan bats woke up and proceeded to score two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to extend their lead to 6-1. The Wofford offense was silenced by UNCG pitching for the rest of the game closing out in a 6-1 loss.
Abby Greenwood got the start for the Terriers in the first game of the day. She went six innings with eight hits and six runs allowed to go along with six strikeouts. The Spartans got to her late in the game to deliver Greenwood her fourth loss of the campaign.
Game 2
Margaret Axelson got the nod for the second game of the day and in a shortened outing went four innings with five runs and four hits, but with only one earned run. She passed the circle to freshman Natalya Salo, who finished the game going 6.2 innings with five hits and four runs, only two were earned, with one strikeout.
The Terriers were hot out the gates early scoring three runs in the second inning. Gracie Parker and Kaytlin Greenwood both had RBI singles. A Hope Ingle grounder allowed a run to score on an error making the game 3-0 in favor of Wofford. UNCG responded in the bottom half of the inning with four runs of their own to give them the 4-3 lead. They added to their lead in the next inning with an additional run putting Wofford in a 5-3 hole. In the top of the fourth, the hot-hitting Hope Ingle clubbed a two-run home run over the right center field wall to tie the game at 5-5. It was Ingle's second home run of the week and fourth RBI driven in four games played. The Terriers added to their lead with a Hannah Maddox RBI double to take the 6-5 lead in the top of the sixth. However, the Spartans rallied in the bottom of the seventh by blasting a game-tying home run to send the game into extra innings.
The game went quiet in extras, as both pitchers kept the opposing bats at bay until the tenth inning. In the top of tenth, Gracie Parker drove in an RBI with a single to put the Terriers back up one. However, UNCG responded with a run of their own to extend the game into the 11th inning tied 7-7. Rivers Sampson doubled to bring in an RBI to put Wofford up 8-7 heading into the bottom half of the inning. Natalya Salo got two outs in the bottom of the eleventh. With a runner already on base, the freshman gave up a walk-off home run to end the game in a 9-8 loss.
The Wofford Terriers return to action Tuesday, April 1, to take on Winthrop in a midweek showdown at Hope Field. First pitch is slated for 6:00 pm.
