Baseball 4/8/2006 8:00:00 PM UNCGSpartans.com

Appalachian State holds on for 11-8 win over UNCG in SoCon baseball action

Box Score

BOONE, NC Appalachian State leftfielder David Rubinstein went 4-for-4 and fell a single shy of the cycle as the Mountaineers scored runs in all but one inning en route to an 11-8 victory over UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon at Lackey Field.

Sophomore Greg Feltes gave the Spartans the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as the Rocky River, OH native hit the second pitch of the game over the rightfield wall for his second homerun of the season. Kevin Butler plated the equalizer in the bottom of the first for ASU with an RBI double to right-centerfield that scored Nick DeRose from second.

Feltes drove home his second run of the game and gave the Spartans the lead back in the process with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right-centerfield. Adam Deleo laced a one-out double to left-centerfield and advanced to third on a single from Clinton McKinney before scoring with the go ahead run.

UNCG (13-19, 3-5 SoCon) tallied in another run in the top of the third on an RBI single from David Adams. Jermaine Mitchell led off the frame with a walk and then stole second before Adams blistered a shot right back up the middle for his sixth RBI of the year.

Appalachian State second baseman Ben Billingsley tied the game at three runs apiece with a two-run homerun over the right-centerfield wall in the home half of the third. DeRose, who walked to start the inning, scored before him. The Mountaineers took the lead in the following inning as Rubinstein opened the fourth with a triple to right and later scored on a balk charged to Wes McCall.

The Mountaineers (12-17-1, 2-9 SoCon) tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take an 8-3 lead. Isaac Harrow drew a one out walk and came around to score on an RBI triple to right off the bat of Butler for his second RBI of the game. After a RBI single from Chris Baker that chased reliever Clinton McKinney, Rubinstein hit the first pitch he saw from Patrick Currin over the centerfield wall for his fourth homerun of the season.

After ASU scored a run for the fourth consecutive inning in the bottom of the sixth, UNCG responded with a run of its own to keep the deficit at five runs. Guy Welsh recorded his team leading 22nd RBI of the season in the top of the seventh as the Tucson, AZ native drew a bases loaded walk. The Mountaineers responded with a run in the seventh as Rubinstein picked up his fourth hit of the afternoon with an RBI double to leftfield.

UNCG struck for a pair of runs in the top of the eight to cut the ASU lead to 10-6. Sean Snell led off the inning with a single to right to extend his hitting streak to eight games. After Snell advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt and moving to third on a groundout, Deleo collected his third hit of the afternoon with a single to left to score Snell. Brandon Harvey added a sacrifice fly in the inning that scored Deleo with the second run.

The Spartans mounted a rally in the top of the ninth and scored two runs as UNCG put the first four runners on and got RBIs from Snell and McCall, but Garrett Sherrill retired Feltes on a fly out to leftfield to end the game.

Mountaineer starting pitcher Jonathan Reeder (2-3) earned the win after allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out three in 6-1/3 innings on the hill. Sherrill earned his second save of the season after allowing two hits in the final inning.

McCall (1-6) suffered the loss after giving up four runs on six hits while striking out a pair in four innings of mound duty.

Deleo led the Spartans as he finished with a team-high three hits while Feltes paced the club with two RBI.

UNCG returns to the diamond Sunday afternoon when the Spartans take on Appalachian State at 1 p.m. in the rubbermatch of a three-game series.

AGATE:

Appalachian State 11, UNC Greensboro 8 (Apr 08, 2006 at Boone, N.C.)

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UNC Greensboro...... 111 000 122 - 8 17 1 (13-19, 3-5 SoCon)

Appalachian State... 102 141 11X - 11 15 2 (12-17-1, 2-9 SoCon)

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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Wes McCall; Clinton McKinney(5); Patrick Currin(5); Ryan Clear(7);

Jonathan Nichols(8). Appalachian State - Reeder; Edens(7); Sherrill(9).

Win-Reeder(2-3) Save-Sherrill(2) Loss-Wes McCall(1-6) T-3:03 A-126