Sergio Guerra, Sports Editor/Photographer 

UNCG Softball played four games this week which saw the Spartans rebound from a loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels to sweep a weekend series over Wofford in SoCon play.  

The first match of this past week saw the Spartans taking on the Tar Heels at home. The match was incredibly tight through the first six innings with a 7-5 scoreline in favor of Chapel Hill, before the Tar Heels blew the final inning wide open. UNC made eight runs in the final inning of the game, with UNCG unable to respond. This led to a very one-sided if a bit misleading UNC Chapel Hill victory, 15-5 at the final.  

This loss set the stage for a response from the Spartans, as Wofford was visiting for three games over the weekend in SoCon play. The first match occurred on Friday, March 28, and the Spartans took a narrow 2-1 win over the Terriers. This win was due to the runs scored by Jessie Shipley and Salem Ward.  

The following Saturday featured a doubleheader, with UNCG facing Wofford at 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. In the first match, UNCG won decisively. The first two innings did not see much action, with the scoreline level at 0-0. However, Kaylyn Belfield put the Spartans on the board after Samantha Beck doubled to center field. Beck then extended the Spartans’ lead by scoring a run of her own. Wofford managed to respond with a run from Kaytlin Greenwood, but the Terriers were unable to score again for the rest of the match. UNCG secured a 6-1 victory in the first game of the day. 

The final match of the series showcased a much tighter game between the Spartans and the Terriers. The action intensified in the second inning, with UNCG narrowly leading 4-3 thanks to a home run by Hadley Gardner. A bit of back-and-forth ensued until the seventh inning, when UNCG was trailing by one. It was Jessie Shipley, with a homer to left field, who managed to tie it up for the Spartans and send the game into overtime.  

The overtime period extended the game to a total of 11 innings. The Spartans were forced to tie the match on two occasions. In the tenth inning, Samantha Beck responded for UNCG after Wofford took the lead. However, it was in the eleventh inning that the Spartans pulled away from the Terriers. Laney Deane hit a homer, which also allowed Rabenold to score and complete the sweep. 

The result takes UNCG to 26-10 overall (4-2 in SoCon). UNCG has another mid-week matchup on Wednesday, April 2, when it hosts NC State. After that, the focus re-shifts to conference play when the Spartans travel to Greenville, SC, to take on Furman this upcoming weekend.