GREENSBORO, NC – The UNC Greensboro baseball squad split a Southern Conference doubleheader with Western Carolina on Saturday at UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Catamounts took the 11-1 win in game one and the Spartans prevented the series sweep with a 9-4 victory in the late game.
Western Carolina (23-12, 8-4 SoCon) struck first in the visitor half of the fifth in game one and scored six runs when the Catamounts capitalized on four Spartan errors.. After reaching on an outfield error, Steven Strausbaugh was brought home on a double by Brent Greer. Barrett Shaft followed with a two-run double and scored on another Spartan error. WCU closed out the inning with a RBI single and a RBI fielder's choice.
Shaft gave the Catamounts one more run in the sixth on a RBI double to right, 7-0 Western Carolina. UNCG had a chance in the eighth with the bases loaded and no outs but were unable to convert. A fly out and a throw out at home were followed by a foul out to finish the inning.
WCU added four runs in the ninth beginning with a RBI groundout by Jonathan Greene. A RBI single and a two RBI double gave the Catamounts the 11-0 lead. The Spartans' Sean Snell prevented the shutout when the junior blasted a one-out home run over the leftfield fence, his fourth of the season. WCU closer Bryan Corbett retired the last two batters to secure the victory for the Catamounts.
Drew Saberhagen (4-1) earned the win after scattering eight hits and not giving up a run in eight innings on the mound.
Junior Matt Gibbs (3-3) took the loss after giving up five runs on four hits in 4-1/3 innings of work. Gibbs struck out a game-high three batters. Sophomore reliever Kory Judd struck out two in 4-2/3 innings on the hill.
Snell and Tim Carrier each finished 2-for-4 from the plate for UNCG.
Game two saw UNCG (18-18, 6-6 SoCon) score seven runs in the fifth en route to a 9-4 win.
WCU jumped out to the 1-0 lead in the third after Greer doubled to right and was brought home two batters later after a stolen base attempt allowed him to score from third.
The Spartans put together a seven-run inning in the bottom of the fifth to take the six-run advantage. Snell started things off with a single through the left side. After a groundout advanced him to second, Snell reached third on a single from Joel Johnson and Corey Overholtzer brought him home on a double to left-center. Carrier hit a RBI single to left and with bases loaded, Guy Welsh sent a RBI single to center, scoring Overholtzer. A hit by pitch, single, walk and a Catamount error helped bring in the final runs for UNCG.
Western Carolina used a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth cut the lead to five, but UNCG responded and plated two runs in the bottom of the inning. Welsh and Ricky Orton each recorded RBI singles, giving the Spartans the 9-2 lead.
The Catamounts rallied with a pair of runs in the ninth. A RBI double from Kenny Smith and a RBI single from Strausbaugh cut the UNCG lead, 9-4, but it wasn't enough as the Spartans would go on to prevent the series sweep.
Senior Nick Starnes (2-2) was credited with the win after allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out three in five innings of work. Freshman Alex Shelton pitched three scoreless innings of relief for UNCG and struck out three as well.
Corey Martin (3-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in 4-1/3 innings on the mound. Martin struck out a game-high four batters for WCU.
Orton went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead UNCG behind the plate. Welsh, Overholtzer and Johnson all recorded two hits for the Spartans.
UNCG travels to Durham, NC to take on Duke in a non-conference match-up on Tuesday beginning at 7 pm.
AGATE
Game One
Score by Innings R H E
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Western Carolina...... 000 061 004 - 11 13 0
UNC Greensboro...... 000 000 001 - 1 9 4
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Pitchers: UNCG – Gibbs; Judd (5)
Pitchers: WCU – Saberhagen; Corbett (9)
Win-Drew Saberhagen (4-1) Loss-Matt Gibbs (3-3)
Game Two
Score by Innings R H E
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Western Carolina.... 001 001 002 - 4 12 1
UNC Greensboro...... 000 072 00X - 9 11 2
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Pitchers: UNCG – Starnes; Shelton (6); McKinney (9)
Pitchers: WCU – Martin; Masters (5); Thornburg (5); Johnson (6)
Win-Nick Starnes (2-2) Loss-Corey Martin (3-1)
- UNCG -
