CHARLESTON, SC – Four UNC Greensboro pitchers combined to limit The Citadel to just three hits as the Spartans evened a three-games series at a game apiece with a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon at Riley Park.
Ryan Falcon (1-1) picked up his first win of the season for the Spartans after allowing one run on two hits while collecting three strikeouts in five innings of work.
Ryan Owens (1-4) took the loss for the Bulldogs after being touched for three runs on six hits with two strikeouts in six innings of mound duty.
Senior Patrick Currin came on in the ninth and picked up his third save of the season and extended his scoreless pitching streak to 10-1/3 innings. During the streak, the Chapel Hill, NC native has allowed just one hit.
The Citadel (14-13, 2-3 SoCon) used a pair of doubles to take a 1-0 lead after an inning of play. Centerfielder Trent Weathers led off the frame with a double down the leftfield line and scored on a double down the rightfield line off the bat of Chris Swauger two batters later.
UNCG (11-17, 2-3 SoCon) took the lead back in the top of the second as the Spartans scored a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Wes McCall drew a one out walk and advanced to second on a single to leftfield by Brandon Harvey. David Adams followed with a bunt single to load the bases and Adam Deleo drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly to rightfield. Mike Mongiello produced the second run of the inning with a single through the ride side to plate Harvey from third.
The Spartans tacked on another run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-1 lead. Deleo drew a walk to start the frame, stole second and then advanced to third base on a bunt single by Mongiello. Jermaine Mitchell picked up his 14th RBI of the season by reaching on a fielder's choice that scored Deleo.
Designated hitter Sonny Meade cut the Spartan deficit in half in the home half of the sixth with an RBI single to centerfield that scored Matt Covington from second base. The Bulldogs would go on to load the bases in the inning, but UNCG freshman Clinton McKinney struck Matt Arnold out looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat and the inning in the process.
Spartan pitching clamped down from that point on, limiting the Bulldogs to one base runner over the final three innings. McKinney collected two punchouts en route to a perfect seventh and Clay Gibson retired all three of his batters on groundouts for a perfect eighth. Currin retired the final three hitters on a pair of routine groundouts to second base and the third on a weak grounder to first to secure the win for the Spartans.
Mongiello led the Spartans at the dish after going 3-for-4 with an RBI on the afternoon while Adams chipped in with two hits.
The two teams put the finishing touches on a three-game series when the Spartans and Bulldogs return to the diamond Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for the rubbermatch.
AGATE:
UNCG 3, The Citadel 2 (Apr 01, 2006 at Charleston, S.C.)
UNCG................ 020 010 000 - 3 9 0 (11-17, 2-3 SoCon)
The Citadel......... 100 001 000 - 2 3 1 (14-13, 2-3 SoCon)
Pitchers: UNCG - Ryan Falcon; Greg Martin(6); Clinton McKinney(6); Clay Gibson(8);
Patrick Currin(9). The Citadel - Owens; J. Smith(7); Saunders(9).
Win-Ryan Falcon(1-1) Save-Patrick Currin(3) Loss-Owens(1-4) T-3:37 A-754
- UNCG -
