FLORENCE, S.C. – Jelena Shaw scored the game's first two runs and Loren Bartz drove in the last two as UNCP defeated Queens University 4-0 on Sunday at the 2010 Francis Marion Patriot Invitational at the Freedom Florence Complex in softball action.
The Braves improved to 19-9 with the win while the Royals fall to 7-14 on the year. Alex Hartshorn picked up the win for UNCP pitching a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts. Brandy Jester was credited with the loss for the Royals, allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and four K's.
Bartz collected two hits for the Braves in three at bats while hitting her team-leading eighth home run of the season, a two-run blast in the top of the seventh. Shaw also homered for Pembroke hitting a solo shot in the third. She is one homer behind Bartz with seven on the season.
Shaw led off the game for the Black & Gold and reached base when she was hit by a pitch. She stole second and then was bunted over by to third by Morgan Patrick. Jester threw a wild pitch and Shaw scored from third to give UNCP a 1-0 lead.
With nobody on base and one out in the top of the third Shaw blasted a ball over the centerfield wall to put the Braves up by two runs. Bartz connected on a bomb in the top of the seventh to give UNCP a pair of insurance runs and Hartshorn shut the door on the side in the bottom of the frame to give the Braves their 19th win of the season and their sixth in a row.
The Braves will face #22 Lenoir-Rhyne later today as part of the FMU Invitational in a game scheduled for 1 p.m.