SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team began the 2025 Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament with a close 5-4 loss to No. 3 Samford but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over No. 4 Wofford to survive and advance at Hope Field on Thursday. 
 
UNCG is now 39-17 overall and will face No. 5 Mercer, who is 34-24 overall, on Friday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m.
 
GAME 1: UNCG 4 – Samford 5

• After a scoreless first inning, Laney Deane crushed a solo home run to center field for her sixth blast of the season, putting UNCG up 1-0 in the bottom of the second.
• Hadley Gardner followed with her own solo blast over the left-field fence for her 11^th of the season, giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
• With the bases loaded and two outs, Grace Loftin walked in UNCG's third run of the inning.
• Samford responded in the top of the third with an RBI triple from McKayla Cothran that scored Joi Hubbard with two outs cutting the deficit to 3-1.
• Both teams threatened in the fourth inning and stranded three on base each.
• The Bulldogs took over the lead in the top of the fifth with three runs on four hits, including an Olivia Shaw three-run bomb, 4-3.
• They added another run on Hubbard's RBI double that scored Linsey Hargis from second for a 5-3 advantage in the top of the sixth.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Grace Loftin hit her team-leading 14^th home run of the season over the center-field fence putting the Spartans within one, 5-4.
• Both teams stranded runners on in the seventh, as Samford held on for the win.

 
PITCHING RECORD
Jorde Chartrand: L, 10-7
Jordyn Partain: W, 15-13
 
GAME 2: UNCG 3 – Wofford 1

• Following three scoreless innings, Loftin reached on an error and Jorde Chartrand moved her over on a single to right field in the bottom of the fourth with one out.
• Michael then drove the ball over the center fielder's head giving UNCG a 2-0 advantage.
• Wofford looked to respond in the top of the fifth, but the Spartans kept them from scoring, as the Terriers stranded two on base.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Michael walked on four-straight balls and Deane singled up the middle with one out.
• Madelyn McKinnon dropped a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over, before Gardner drove in Michael on a single. The Spartans went up 3-0 before the Terriers threw out the trailing runner to end the inning.
• Wofford tallied a run in the bottom of the seventh off a two-out sacrifice fly from Hope Ingle and the Spartans retired the side on another fly out securing the win.

 
PITCHING RECORD
Salem Ward: W, 15-6
Abby Greenwood: L, 9-6
Jorde Chartrand: S, 4
 
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UP NEXT
UNCG will now face No. 5 Mercer tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.  The winner of that game will play the loser of No. 3 Samford vs. No. 1 Chattanooga at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.
 
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