GREENSBORO, NC – Senior Guy Welsh went 4-for-7 with four RBI and junior Tim Carrier added five RBI as the UNC Greensboro baseball squad completed the three-game series sweep of Marist. The Spartans defeated the Red Foxes 8-3 and 11-6 in a doubleheader on Saturday at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Spartans (3-3-0) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second with the help of a couple of Red Fox errors in game one. After reaching second on a Marist error and a sacrifice bunt, Greg Feltes scored UNCG's first run off another Marist error. Carrier blasted a triple to center field two batters later, scoring Adam Deleo and Corey Overholtzer and giving UNCG the three run advantage. Junior Matt Gaski answered with a RBI single to center to bring in Carrier for the 4-0 lead.
UNCG continued its scoring ways in the next inning, bringing in three more runs. Feltes made his way around the bases again with the help of more errors by the Red Foxes. One batter later, Deleo sent a two-run homerun over the left field to put the Spartans up 7-0 after the third. The roundtripper was the first for Deleo on the year.
Justin Lepore scored Marist's (0-3-0) first run in the top of the fifth after reaching on a walk. Left fielder Max Most singled to center to bring Lepore around for the unearned run. At the top of seventh, Pat Feeney doubled to center and reached third on a ground out and Most followed with a single to bring Feeney home, making it 7-2 in favor of UNCG.
Marist added another run at the top of the eighth after a Richard Curylo double to center brought Andrew Stanton around for the score. UNCG responded quickly with a run of its own at the bottom of the same inning. Welsh hit a double to left to bring in Gaski who walked earlier.
Junior Matt Gibbs (1-1) earned his first career win as a Spartan. The Modesto, CA native allowed just two hits and one run in six innings on the mound. He struck out a game-high four batters.
Josh Rickards (0-1) took the loss after surrendering seven runs on five hits in just three innings of work.
The Spartans used a big six-run surge in the eighth inning to pull away with the 11-6 win in game two.
UNCG grabbed the early 2-0 in the first. First baseman Joel Johnson blasted a double to the center field wall to bring in Gaski and Welsh for the two-run advantage.
Marist answered right back with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Travis Musolf reached home on a Feeney sacrifice fly. A batter later, Lepore sent a single to center to bring Matthew Lesyk home and tie the game at two a piece. The Spartans took back the lead right away, however, after Welsh doubled to center as Gaski rounded home.
After the Red Foxes grabbed another run in the fourth, UNCG responded with a pair of homeruns for the 5-3 advantage. With only one out in the bottom of the fifth, Carrier sent his first home run in a Spartan uniform over left field and Gaski answered with his first home run at UNCG over right field.
Marist once again responded with a one run inning in the top of the sixth and then grabbed its first lead of the night in the seventh. Kenny Anderson used a single to bring home Most and a wild pitch from Clinton McKinney allowed Adam Pernasilici to score from third, giving Marist the 6-5 lead.
UNCG, however, got its big surge in the bottom of the eighth, scoring six runs. After a base hit and a walk to put runners on first and second, Deleo singled to center to bring in Feltes to tie things up at six. Carrier gave the Spartans the lead for good after he hit a single to right with the bases loaded to bring in Snell and Deleo. More runs were added after Welsh's single drove in two runs. A fielder's choice gave the Spartans their final run to end the inning with the 11-6 lead.
Welsh led the Spartans at the plate with a 3-for-4 showing and three RBI. Carrier, Gaski and Johnson each went 2-for-4 on the game with Carrier grabbing three RBI.
McKinney (2-0) grabbed his second win of the season in relief after tallying three strikeouts and three hits in 1-1/3 innings pitched.
Robert Ryan (0-1) was credited with the loss after giving up three hits and four runs.
UNCG returns to the diamond on Wednesday when it plays High Point beginning at 2:30 pm. The game will be held at First Horizon Park in Greensboro due to construction on High Point's stadium.
AGATE
Score by Innings R H E
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Marist............ 000 010 110 - 3 7 2
UNCG.............043 000 01X - 8 8 0
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Pitchers: Marist – Rickards; Puckli (4); Barone (5); Cary (6)
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro – Gibbs; Gibson (7); Krieger (8), Starnes (9)
Win-Matt Gibbs (1-1) Loss-Josh Rickards (0-1)
Score by Innings R H E
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Marist ............ 002 101 200 - 6 12 0
UNCG............ 201 020 06X - 11 13 2
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Pitchers: Marist – Close; Wiley (5); Sussman (6); Ryan (8); Alessio (8)
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro – Shelton; G. Martin (4); McCall (5); McKinney (7); Judd (9)
Win-Clinton McKinney (2-0) Loss-Robert Ryan (0-1)
- UNCG -
