UNC Softball Drops A Pair Of Close Contests At Southern Utah
The UNC softball team continued its play against Division I competition on Saturday in Cedar City, Utah, as the Bears battled Southern Utah University. Southern Utah took game one, 4-2, and rallied for a 6-5 win in game two.
The Bears dropped to 2-4 on the season, while Southern Utah improved to 6-8 on the year. UNC also dropped both games of a doubleheader on Thursday at home to Division I Colorado State.
UNC will be back in action at home on Wednesday against Southern Colorado with a doubleheader at Noon at the UNC Softball Field.
GAME ONE
The Bears got a solid outing from starting pitcher Cristin Dumler but could not fire up the bats enough against SUU's Lacee LePrey. LePrey limited UNC to only four hits and two runs (one earned) in improving her record to 3-2 on the season.
UNC's Erin Peterson scored both of the Bears' runs in the contest as she led off the second inning with a double and scored on a double by Jana Pintz.
Peterson scored her second run of the game in the sixth inning after reaching on an error by Thunderbird LF April Cox. UNC's Stacey Moon knocked in Peterson with an RBI double.
Dumler pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up four runs and eight hits. She struck out two and walked three in the game. Dumler fell to 1-2 on the season.
GAME TWO
UNC looked like it would split the doubleheader with the Thunderbirds in game two as the Bears led 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. But Southern Utah rallied the bats against UNC reliever Stephani Miller and pulled out a dramatic, 6-5, victory over the Bears.
UNC's offense got a huge boost from sophomore 2B Jana Pintz in the fifth inning as she launched a three-run homer to put UNC on top 4-3. The Bears added what looked to be an insurance run in the top of the seventh to take a two-run lead before SUU rallied in the bottom half.
Southern Utah Jessica Heineman lined out to SS Kim Kelly to start the seventh before three straight batters reached base. Anna Leeman doubled and Precious Gallo followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Kimberly Tillery then walked to load the bases. UNC called on Cristin Dumler to save the contest at that point. However, Dumler's first batter (Lacee LePrey) she encountered laced a three-run double to plate the winning run and give Miller the loss.
Erin Peterson and Lindsey Jorgensen each tallied two hits in the nightcap to lead the UNC offense.
