Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
GREENSBORO, N.C.  – Georgia Southern opened its final SoCon Campaign with a doubleheader win over UNCG on Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium by 3-2 and 4-3 score lines. The wins secure the sixth-straight regular season series win against the Spartans as the Eagles go to 18-7 on the season and 2-0 in league play. UNCG falls to 10-12 on the year and 0-2 in the SoCon. The teams wrap-up the three-game set on Sunday with an 11 a.m. game.

"I thought we got two great team wins today," said Head Coach Annie Smith. "Our batters did a great job battling in their at bats and we made some adjustments in the second game that helped us win the game. Our pitchers did a great job in both games."

GAME ONE
GS 3, UNCG 2

Georgia Southern got the day started with a 3-2 win over the Spartans in a game that saw the home team creep back in with a pair of late runs. Ultimately normal service was resumed as Sarah Purvis picked up her fifth win in as many appearances against the Spartans and improved to 9-3 on the season.

Kourtny Thomas got the Eagles off the mark with a solo home run in the second inning. It was her 28th career home run and ninth this season as the senior shortstop went deep against starting pitcher Raeanne Hanks for the second-straight at bat in Greensboro. It was just the second long-ball allowed by Hanks this season in over 62 innings of work.

Georgia Southern capitalized on a pair of walks in the third, including a two-out intentional pass to Thomas, to extend the lead to 2-0. Taylor Rogers drove in the run when she was hit by a pitch with two outs in the frame.

Southern got back in the scoring swing in the fifth by taking advantage of a botched double play. A fielding error kept two runners on base for Thomas when she drove in her second run of the game with a single that was rifled up the middle. The Eagles, however stranded two runners in scoring position and extended the advantage to 3-0.

A leadoff double, followed by an illegal pitch to advance the runner allowed UNCG to drive in their first run of the day in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. One run, however, was all the Spartans would get in the inning as the home side cut the Eagle advantage to 3-1.

UNCG added another run to start the bottom of the seventh when leadoff hitter Danielle Vega hit a home run to left. The Eagles got a fly out to the next batter, but a walk put the tying run on first. A single by No. 9 hitter Emily Lopez put runners on first and second with the top of the order coming up. A pair of infield pop ups dismissed the UNCG threat.

GAME TWO
GS 4, UNCG 3

For the second-straight game, Kourtny Thomas opened the scoring early for the good guys with a Texas Leaguer to left which sent Emily Snider in from third. A fielding error by the UNCG second baseman later in the inning allowed Shelby Morrill to score from second with two outs. The runs gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead with the Spartans yet to bat.

UNCG leveled the game in the fifth with a single to the pitcher and a walk to put ducks on the pond for Katelyn Bedwell. The Spartan slugger, who entered the day as the league's top hitter, poked a ball to left for a double that scored both runners and tied the game at 2-2 with two outs.

Starting pitcher Brooke Red settled down to strike out the final batter of the inning and keep the game tied at 2-2 through five complete.

UNCG got four hits in the sixth, including a pair with two outs to take its first lead of the day, 3-2. An Allison Geiner single to second base drove in the go-ahead run as the Eagles went to bat in the seventh.

Relief pitcher Raeanne Hanks issued a pair of one-out walks to give the Eagles life in the seventh. Thomas advanced the runners and Morgan Robinson did the damage, driving both in with a soft liner through the right side. Her single gave the Eagles a 4-3 lead though the middle of the seventh.

Red dealt three strikeouts in the seventh and worked around a single and a hit batter to secure the win. She finished the day with a career-best 12 strikeouts and improved to 7-3 on the season with the win.

Georgia Southern and UNCG close out their three-game series on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. The series finale has been pushed up by two hours to account for adverse weather which is expected later in the afternoon.

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