Following rain delays, Furman holds onto a 5-2 victory over UNCG

GREENSBORO, NC – After seven and a half innings of play, Friday night’s game between UNC Greensboro and Furman was suspended due to heavy rains with Furman holding a 5-2 lead. Roughly 20 minutes after the 4:30pm resumption time on Saturday, the Paladins came away with a 5-2 victory in the first of a three game Southern Conference series.

With the loss, UNCG drops to 18-10 on the season with a 4-3 league mark. Furman is now 15-11 overall with a 2-6 conference record.

Furman took an opening inning, 2-0 lead following a sacrifice fly and a run scored off of a bases loaded walk. Greg Felts smacked a solo home run over the left center fence to put the score at 2-1.

In the home half of the third, first basemen Ricky Orton singled into right field to plate shortstop Matt Gaski and knot the game at 2-2.

The Paladins jumped out in front again in the top of the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead. Matt Hemingway came in off of a groundout to shortstop and Rob Fondu rounded home after a single to centerfield by Connor Lind.

In the following inning, an RBI double by Fondu put Furman out even further with a 5-2 advantage.

The game was suspended in the bottom half of the eighth inning with Furman still holding the 5-2 advantage and UNCG at the plate. When the decision was made, the Spartans had runners on second and third with one out and Feltes at the plate.

After the second out was made, right fielder Sean Snell was walked to load the bases. Unable to tally a much needed hit, UNCG recorded out number three and left three runners on the bags.

With neither lineup able to notch a run in the final inning, Furman held onto the 5-2 lead and came away with their second conference victory of the season.

At the plate, UNCG’s Greg Feltes was 2-for-4 with a home run, a run, and an RBI. Ricky Orton was 2-for-3 with an RBI. The Paladins’ Connor Lind went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.

Furman’s Jay Jackson (6-1) took the game one victory after striking out four and allowing just two hits in 7.1 innings on the mound. After coming in for relief right before the game was suspended in the bottom of the eighth inning, Nick Karow was credited with his fourth save of the season. Greg Martin (2-2) took the loss for the Spartans after 5.2 innings of work and a game high seven strikeouts.

Due to the shuffled Saturday schedule, UNCG and Furman will resume action on Sunday afternoon with a 1pm conference doubleheader.

For news about UNCG baseball, complete season schedule, and any other information regarding Spartan athletics log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.

# # UNCG # # 

Furman 5, UNC Greensboro 2 (Apr 04, 2008 at Greensboro, NC)
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Furman.....................    200 002 100  -  5  9  0      (15-11, 2-6 SOCON)
UNC Greensboro......      101 000 000  -  2  6  4      (18-10, 4-3 SOCON)
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Pitchers: Furman - Jay Jackson; Nick Karow(8).
UNC Greensboro - Greg Martin; Wes McCall(6); James White(7); Matt Bjorkstrom(8); Blake Hassebrock(8). 

Win-Jay Jackson(6-1) 
Save-Nick Karow(4) 
Loss-Greg Martin(2-2)

HR UNCG - Greg Feltes (10).