CULLOWHEE, NC – The UNC Greensboro offense erupted for 10 runs on 15 hits and Jonathan Nichols notched his first win of the season as the Spartans defeated Western Carolina 10-6 Sunday afternoon at Hennon Stadium to avoid a Catamount sweep.
Nichols (1-2), a native of Norwood, NC, came on in relief of starter Clay Gibson and limited the Catamounts to just one run on six hits while collecting three strikeouts in 3-2/3 innings of work.
Tyler Johnson (3-2) suffered the loss in relief after giving up five runs on six hits in 1-2/3 innings of mound duty.
UNCG (20-28, 9-12 SoCon) got on the board in the bottom of the first as the Spartans tallied a run on the game's first play. Spartan designated hitter Greg Feltes tripled to right-centerfield and scored on a throwing error by WCU second baseman Mitchell Hatley.
Western Carolina (27-21, 13-11 SoCon) answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the first to take a 2-1 advantage. Tim Hallam led off the half inning with a single to second and advanced up a base on a throwing error on the Spartan infield before Barrett Shaft followed with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners. After a wild pitch scored Hallam from third, Jonathan Greene recorded WCU's third consecutive singe with a one-bagger through the left side to score Shaft.
Making his first start of the weekend, Roly Gonzalez put the Spartans right back out in front, 3-2, when the Miami, FL native laced a two-run triple down the leftfield line that scored Wes McCall and Adam Deleo. The Catamounts regained the lead in the bottom of the second after plating three more runs to take a 5-3 lead. Ryan Wilson produced the first run of the inning with an RBI double while Andy John and Hallam accounted for the latter two with RBI groundouts.
The Spartans exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth to retake the lead at 8-5. McCall walked to open the frame and Shane Thompson delivered a one-out single through the left side, advancing McCall to second. Gonzalez followed with a single to load the bases before Feltes doubled down the rightfield line to score McCall and Thompson. David Adams then hit a sac fly to score Gonzalez while Guy Welsh and Sean Snell later produced back-to-back RBI singles.
Western pushed home a run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Spartan lead to 8-6 on a two-out RBI double from Shaft. Mitchell got that run right back for the Spartans and once again gave UNCG a three-run cushion when he cranked his second home run of the series and team-leading fifth of the season.
Adams provided the Spartans with an insurance run in the top of the eight and put the Spartans in front 10-6 in the process. Thompson started the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Gonzalez before Adams notched his second hit and RBI of the afternoon with a shot up the middle.
Mitchell led the way for the Spartans after registering a 3-for-4 with one RBI afternoon while five other Spartans collected two hits apiece.
UNCG returns to the diamond Friday evening when the Spartans begin a three-game series with Wofford at 8 p.m. from UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE:
UNC Greensboro 10, Western Carolina 6 (May 07, 2006 at Cullowhee, N.C.)
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UNC Greensboro...... 120 501 010 - 10 15 2 (20-28, 9-12 SoCon)
Western Carolina.... 230 100 000 - 6 13 3 (27-21, 13-11 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Clay Gibson; Jonathan Nichols(3); Greg Martin(6); Clinton McKinney(9)
Western Carolina - Thornburg; Johnson(3); McCullen(4); McConnell(9).
Win-Jonathan Nichols(1-2) Loss-Johnson(3-2) T-3:46 A-243
HR UNCG - Jermaine Mitchell (5).
- UNCG -
