CHARLESTON, SC – Senior pitcher Patrick Currin struckout a career-high seven batters as seventh-seeded UNC Greensboro advanced past the opening round of the 2006 Southern Conference Tournament with a 6-5 win over No. 10 seed Wofford Tuesday afternoon at Riley Park.
Currin (10-3), making only his third start of the season, allowed just two runs on seven scattered hits in seven innings of work to earn his first win of the season as a starting pitcher.
Austin Redwine (5-8) took the loss after being touched for six runs (four earned) on eights hits while striking out two in six innings of mound duty.
Wofford, who trailed the majority of the game, made it interesting in the top of the ninth as the Terries scored three runs with two outs. Adam Wood was hit by a pitch to start the inning, John Brandt drew a walk and pinch-hitter Chuck Eller singled to centerfield to load the bases. Freshman Greg Martin then came on to pitch and recorded the first out when Guy Welsh fielded a grounder at third and threw home for the force out. After then striking out Ben Austin swinging, Eric Sturkie laced a bases clearing triple to right-center to make the score 6-5. Jonathan Nichols came on to record his second save of the season as he retired Zach Pittman on a foul out to third base to secure the win.
UNCG (25-31) fell behind early as Wofford plated a run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. First baseman Stephen Johnson drew a one-out walk and then stole second before Shane Kirkley collected his team-leading 40th RBI with a single into shallow leftfield.
Welsh tied the score at 1-1 in the home half of the first with a sharp single to right field. Jermaine Mitchell started things with a two-out single up the middle and then stole second base before scampering home on Welsh's team-leading 38th RBI of the season.
Mitchell and Welsh struck again in the bottom of the third as the duo produced a pair of runs to put the Spartans out in front 3-1. Greg Feltes drew a walk to start the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sean Snell. Mitchell then hit his second single of the afternoon up the middle, this time driving home Feltes with UNCG's second run of the afternoon. After Mitchell stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Wofford catcher Keith Munns, Welsh plated Mitchell with a groundout to the right side for his second RBI of the game.
Wofford (20-37) cut the Spartan lead in half in the top of the seventh as the Terriers tallied a run on an RBI groundout from Austin.
The Spartans got that run right back in the bottom half of the seventh and added to more in the process to take a 6-2 lead. Adam Deleo started the inning with a beautiful bunt down the third base line that hit the bag, leaving third baseman Adam Wood with no play. Shane Thompson followed with a bunt of his own down the first base line that Wofford hoped would trickle foul but never did. Roly Gonzalez produced the third consecutive bunt single with he successfully laid one down in front of catcher John Brandt. Brandt, however, threw wildly to first, allowing Gonzalez to take second and Deleo and Thompson to score. Three batters later, Mitchell tallied his third hit and second RBI of the game with a double to center to score Gonzalez.
Mitchell led the way at the plate for the Spartans as the junior was 3-for-4 with two RBI and three stolen bases. Brandon Harvey also added a pair of hits.
UNCG returns to the diamond Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. when the Spartans take on No. 2 seed College of Charleston at Riley Park. Earlier this season, the Cougars took two out of three from UNCG in Greensboro.
AGATE:
UNC Greensboro 6, Wofford 5 (May 23, 2006 at Charleston, SC)
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Wofford............. 100 000 103 - 5 7 2 (20-36)
UNC Greensboro...... 102 000 30X - 6 10 1 (25-31)
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Pitchers: Wofford - Austin Redwine; JD Melton(7); Ryan Beaton(8). UNC Greensboro -
Patrick Currin; Clinton McKinney(8); Greg Martin(9); Jonathan Nichols(9).
Win-Patrick Currin(10-3) Save-Jonathan Nichols(2) Loss-Austin Redwine(5-8) T-2:33 A-386
Redwine faced 3 batters in the 7th.
McKinney faced 3 batters in the 9th.
- UNCG -
