JACKSONVILLE, FL – Junior Nick Starnes allowed just one hit and no runs in seven innings of relief work on the hill as the UNC Greensboro baseball team bested Bethune-Cookman 3-1 Sunday afternoon in the third of four games from North Florida's Harmon Stadium.
Starnes (1-0), who earned his first win of the season, came on in relief of starting hurler Ryan Falcon and allowed a meaningless two-out hit to Chris Brown with no one on in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Haw River, NC native was dominant on the hill, allowing the Wildcats with no real scoring opportunities.
The Wildcats did produce one legitimate scoring opportunity against Starnes in the sixth inning, but Wes McCall and Adam Deleo erased any chance of that with a beautiful double play. With runners on first and third with one out, McCall made an outstanding play over his should to retire Nabil Sagbini on a foul out for the second out. Once McCall made the grab, Alejandro Jimenez broke for him, but McCall threw a strike to Deleo that beat the runner by eight feet. Deleo applied the tag with ease to negate the scoring threat.
Joseph Gautier (1-3) suffered the loss for the Wildcats as he allowed two runs on six hits in six innings on the hill.
Bethune-Cookman cracked the scoreboard first and took a 1-0 lead after one inning of play. Jose Ortiz led off with a bunt single and then stole second before Chris Henault reached base safely with a walk. After Jimenez moved both runners over with a groundout on the infield, Rob Caruso drove home the Wildcats' first run with a sacrifice fly to right.
UNCG struck for two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Junior Jermaine Mitchell led off the frame with a double to rightfield and Guy Welsh followed with a single on the infield to move Mitchell to third. Greg Matson looked to drive in the tying run with a safety squeeze bunt on the infield, but Gautier fielded the ball quickly to tie up Mitchell in between third and home. Mitchell was eventually retired at third base as he made a diving attempt back to the bag trying to avoid the tag.
David Adams reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases before catcher Adam Deleo laced a single to right centerfield to score both Welsh and Matson to give the Spartans a one run advantage and collect his first two RBI of the season.
The Spartans added an insurance run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Adams. Welsh started the inning with a double to rightfield and Matson advanced him to third with a sacrifice bunt before Adams' single to center plated Welsh from third.
Mitchell, Welsh and McCall led the Spartans at the plate as the trio each collected two hits.
UNCG returns to action Monday when the Spartans face the Japanese College Team in an exhibition game. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. for North Florida's Harmon Stadium.
AGATE:
UNC Greensboro 3, Bethune-Cookman 1 (Mar 05, 2006 at Jacksonville, FL)
UNC Greensboro...... 000 002 010 - 3 10 1 (3-8)
Bethune-Cookman..... 100 000 000 - 1 3 3 (5-12)
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Ryan Falcon; Nick Starnes(3). Bethune-Cookman - GAUTIER,Joseph;
BURGOS,Hiram(7); RIVERA,Israel(9).
Win-Nick Starnes(1-0) Loss-GAUTIER,Joseph(1-3) T-2:17 A-377
- UNCG -
