UNCP Wins Fourth Straight, Defeats Edinboro 6-3
FLORENCE, S.C. – UNCP's No. 1 and No. 2 hitters Jelena Shaw and Morgan Patrick each went 3-for-4 at the plate and pitcher Whitney Landwermeyer struck out eight batters as the Braves won their fourth consecutive game, defeating Edinboro University, 6-3, on Friday night at the 2009 Patriot Invitational at the Freedom Florence Softball Complex.
Pembroke's Loren Bartz (2-for-3) and Jamie Burwell (1-for-4) each drove in two runs for the Black & Gold in helping UNCP (11-13) to its 11th victory of the season and its second at the Patriot Invitational. The Fighting Scots (8-4) fell to Queens University earlier in the day before dropping the 6-3 decision to UNCP.
Landwermeyer pitched six complete innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits with eight strikeouts to improve to 7-6 on the year. Edinboro's Chelsea Bosak was credited with the loss in relief going four innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with three walks and one strikeout.
EU's Dana Webb went 2-for-3 for the Fighting Scots with a RBI and a run scored. Abby Goetschius and Lauren Smith collected the only other hits for Edinboro with Pembroke's Landwermeyer and Caroline Newman holding the Scots to only four hits.
Bartz drove in the game's first run in the top of the first when the sophomore catcher singled down the rightfield line to score Shaw from third. Patrick put the Braves up by two in the second inning when she hit a single up the middle to drive in Carissa Dancer from second base.
UNCP added another run in the top of the fourth on a Courtney Hill single to center to score Shaw once again. EU would get on the board in the bottom half of the fourth when Alicia Gordon hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Stacie Balkovic and cut the Braves' lead to two at 3-1.
Burwell hit her first career home run in the top of the fifth, a two run shot to left, to put UNCP up 5-1 heading into the sixth. Bartz drove in another run on a double to right in that sixth inning, scoring Patrick from third.
Webb led off the sixth for the Fighting Scots with a solo homer to right-center to cut the Pembroke lead to four at 6-2. EU added another run in the bottom of the seventh but could not keep the rally going as the Black & Gold would win their fourth consecutive game, and their second straight in Florence.
