THE SEAHAWK/APRIL 19, 20D1 15 {'Georgia Southern takes three James Madison grounds Seahawks ERICA HARBATKIN With the Eagles still on top, 4-1, UNCW sophomore Tiffany Lindemann smacked the ball over the left field fence for a two-run home I run, placing the Seahawks back within strik- I After dwelling behind Geoi^gia Southern, 4- ing distance of the Eagles. 11, as late as the fifth inning Saturday, UNC “(The home run] definitely pushed a little Wilmington’s softball team rallied back to push momentum back on our side,” UNCW head 1,1^ game into extra innings. However, the coach Maggie St. Ledger said. ‘That Dan guy nings, giving up n e hits and back.” jnable LnhtHiii 10 scrape by with the her sixth of losing by a ti- fired up the P 'Sin the eighth rest of the yet started. chant that UNCW dugout after the home seven ii five runs and striking out three. “1 think our players believe in one another,” UNCW coach Mark Scalf said. “We know our opponents have to get 27 outs before the game is over. We feel like our pitching staff has got a chance to keep us in the ballgame.” The Seahawks entered the weekend having won II of their last 15 games. James Madison took game one of the James Madison out-slugged the Seahawks, 6-5, Sunday afternoon to take two of three games over the weekend, slowing down the red hot Seahawks. James Madison (21-16-1 overall, 6-6 Colonial Athletic Association) took a I - 0 lead in the second and added two more runs in the fourth inning to go ahead 3- 0 The Dukes would add two more in the series, 5-4, Friday night, powered by sixth, including a solo home run by 16 hits. The Seahawks bounced back Mitch Rigsby, to take a 5-0 lead. Saturday to pound the Dukes 10-1. ‘I think overall we played pretty Jake Mullis (6-3) pitched a four-hit good. We just didn’t start hitting the complete game, while Hairr smacked a pitches we needed to hit at the begin- grand sli ning of the game,” UNC Wilmington’s David McKenna said. “We started too late and didn’t take advantage of the consistent the fifth ir 1 think we’ve made some progress some areas, but we’re still not as need to be from a Assistant Coach Danny Bellamy instructs softball All- Star Tiffany Lindemann after she reaches first base in Saturday’s game against Georgia Southern. Hilliiird robbed Shannon Hoobin of a home fifth run in nin for the third out of the inning, snatching Stacie Cooper hit a me drive over the short- Ihe ball from over the center field fence. stop for an RBI single Hilliard kept the momentum going in the Littlejohn walked UNCW s f . bottom of the third when she stepped up to bat, ters of the seventh '""'"S drivine the ball into deep left field for the stand- Kammerer, a senior from Tommce, Calit., en up double. With no one else on ba.se, Hilliard tered the She threw a w.ldj.it^^^^ stole third and was able to steal home after Georgia Southern’s third ba.seman missed the catch for the out. “It’s always a confidence booster when you take away a home run,” Hilliard said. “But it just pumps me up more when I make a good play on defense, and then 1 can come in and make a good hit.” The Eagles capitalized on UNCW’s two er- the fifth inning, extending their lead to vanced both runners. Then, Audrey White fied out to center field, but not before driving in a run to pull the Seahawks to within one run. With two outs on the board, Lindemann drove in the tying run for UNCW. “I felt the pressure on me of course,” Lindemann said. “But 1 said this is the best place you want to be... I just hit it as hard as 1 can hit, and it went in the hole.” Meghan Correia drove in the go-ahead run ^r t^Eagles wj a f^to center field, and seven strikeouts for the game, struck out UNCW was unable UNCW’s fir^t two batters in the bottom of the the eighth inning.^ fifthTAudrey White Sited the ball to left field With the win, So“te^ for the SeahLks in the third at-bat, but it was a three-game sweep of UNCW tor the week pulled down for the third out. UNCW Athlete of the Week fastballs we were getting at the begin- pitching and defensive standpoint.” ning of the count.” Scalf said. “I felt that this weekend The Seahawks (27-15 overall, 8-6 showed that a bit. conference) would answer in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs with four consecutive singles by Justin Wishon, David McKenna, Kevin Hairr and Matt Wright to trim the lead to 5-3. James Madison added an important run in the eighth inning when Eddie Kim smacked a home run to right field to take a 6-3 lead. The Seahawks added another run in the bottom half of the inning when Wright (2-for-4, three RBIs) singled to left field, scoring Hairr. Magnus Pilegard added a hit before Russ Simmerman grounded into an inning- ending double play. The Seahawks cut the lead to 6-5 when Pat Massey led off the ninth in ning by pounding his second home run of the season to left field. James Madi son pitcher Jared Doyle got Jamie Hemingway to ground out and struck out the last two batters. “Playing on your home field is a key,” Wright said. “You can’t come in and give up losses here. We have to stay mo tivated [throughout the lineup].” Starter Brian Whitaker (6-3) pitched MATT Price Track and Field GOLD Hill, N.C. A sophomore from Gold Hill, Price broke his own school record by clear ing 17-0 to capture first place in the polt vault during the Tar Heel Invita tional over the weekend in Chapel Hill. Price nosed out N.C. State’s Zach Whitlow for the gold medal in the event. FDR THE LATEST NEWS, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, AND SPORTS INFDRMAT.DN CHECK OUT THE SEAHAWK WEB SITE AT X/V/^XAAXA/_-r I—I ES e: AH AWK - a RC3

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