UNCW Ends Season in NCAA Regional with Setback to Charlotte
Hunter Peters
ATHENS, Ga. (May 18, 2024) – Miscues proved too much to overcome for UNCW on Saturday afternoon at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Ga., as the Seahawks were eliminated from the NCAA Softball Regional by Charlotte following a 5-0 defeat.
The 49ers (39-17) keep their season alive and will face No. 11 Georgia in a second elimination game later this evening. The Seahawks conclude the spring 33-24 after making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past three seasons.
Georgeanna Barefoot (14-2) and Kadie Becker combined to toss a three-hit shutout in the circle, and Arianna Rodi paced the Charlotte lineup, going 1-for-2 at the plate with a home run, three RBIs, one run scored and a walk.
Kara Hammock (17-6) retired seven of the first eight batters she faced, but the 49ers opened the scoring with two runs in the third. Abigail Knight reached on a one-out bunt single before Rodi took the next pitch out of the ballpark for her 22nd home run this spring.
Charlotte put the game out of reach with three runs on three hits and two errors in the sixth.
Cori Hoffler took the first pitch of the inning down the right-field line for a leadoff single. She scored during the next at-bat after a fielder’s choice and two throwing errors by the Seahawks. The next batter, Makalah Mitchell, punched an RBI single through the middle before Rodi tacked on the final run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
The Seahawks – who had three hits total in three NCAA Regional games before today – tallied three base knocks in the contest; however, UNCW made two important outs on the base path.
In the fourth, Taylor Vitola had a leadoff single but was thrown out trying to stretch for a double, and in the sixth, with runners on first and second, Peyton Carver was called out for leaving second base early on a foul ball. Carver recorded a pinch-hit single before Mary Sobataka reached on an error to set up the best scoring opportunity of the afternoon for the Seahawks.
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