GREENVILLE, SC – Senior Ryan Falcon allowed just three runs on five hits in seven innings of work and struck out a game-high eight batters as UNC Greensboro defeated Furman, 11-3, in game one of a three-game Southern Conference series on Friday evening at West End Field.
Senior Guy Welsh finished 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI, while Matt Gaski also led the Spartans by going 2-for-3 and drawing three walks on the night. Scott Schneider and Tim Carrier each recorded two RBI for UNCG.
Falcon (3-5) earned his third win of the season and sophomore Clinton McKinney scattered just one hit and struck out two in two innings of relief.
Matt Klinker (3-3) took the loss after giving up seven runs on eight hits in four innings on the mound.
UNCG (16-14, 4-3 SoCon) took the early 2-0 lead in the visitor half of the first. Gaski reached on a single to left before Welsh blasted his second home run of the year over the left-center wall. The Spartans added two more runs in the second, giving them the 4-0 advantage. With the bases loaded, Schneider sent a single up the middle to score Ricky Orton and Carrier.
The Spartans put another run on the board after Welsh hit a RBI double in the fourth. Furman (8-21, 4-6 SoCon) responded in the same inning when Bobby Hubbard hit a homer over the right field fence, 5-1 UNCG.
Greg Feltes opened up the fifth with a double to right-center and was brought home when Sean Snell laced a double down the left field line. A fielder's choice allowed Snell to score, giving UNCG the 7-1 lead. The Spartans scored two more runs on a RBI single from Brandon Harvey and a RBI fielder's choice from Adam Deleo in the sixth.
Hubbard sent another solo roundtripper to right for the Paladins in the sixth and followed with a RBI single in the eighth, cutting the lead 9-3. UNCG quickly responded in the ninth when Carrier hit his team-leading fourth homer over the left field wall. The Spartans got their final run of the evening on a Furman error, taking the 11-3 victory.
The two teams close out the weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 pm at Furman Stadium.
AGATE
Score by Innings R H E
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UNC Greensboro...... 220 122 002 - 11 12 4
Furman..................... 000 101 010 - 3 6 4
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Pitchers: UNCG – Falcon; McKinney (8)
Pitchers: Furman – Klinker; Pucetas (5); Goldsberry (7)
Win-Ryan Falcon (3-5) Loss-Matt Klinker (3-3)
- UNCG -
