Baseball 2/23/2008 7:00:00 PM UNCGSpartans.com

Spartans, Flashes split to open 2008 baseball season

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

GREENSBORO, NC The UNC Greensboro baseball team won a commanding 12-3 victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday to open up the 2008 baseball season. KSU made it a split as they took a 7-5 extra-inning victory in the day's second game.

The Flashes (1-1-0, 0-0-0 MAC) lit up the board first as Jeremy Rohan slammed a two-run shot over the leftfield wall in the top of the first inning. The Spartans (1-1-0, 0-0-0 SoCon) cut the lead to one as a double to right center from second baseman Tim Carrier brought the shortstop, Matt Gaski, around to the plate.

With KSU unable to deliver in the top of the second, another RBI from Carrier knotted the score at 2-2. Both teams remained scoreless through nearly three innings before the Spartans opened up with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

After being hit by a pitch, the designated hitter Greg Feltes scored a run off a right center double by the first baseman, Ricky Orton. With two strikes against him, the right fielder Sean Snell snapped a triple over the center fielder's head to bring Orton around. Snell's time on base was short-lived as a Pedro Leon, the left fielder, dropped the ball into right center and brought him around for a run.

The Spartans scored single runs in the sixth and the seventh inning before the Flashes were able to bring a runner around full-circle. With the bases loaded, Brad Winter hit a groundball to the shortstop to advance all runners and bring Doug Sanders home.

Up 7-3, UNCG pushed their lead even further scoring five in the bottom of the eighth inning. Third baseman Ray Quinones opened with a solo homerun. After back-to-back errors put two runners on the bags, Feltes stepped up and blasted it over the outfield wall. Orton tallied the fifth run following a fielder's choice.

UNCG went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to hold off KSU and take the game, 12-3.

Two Spartans went 4-for-5 in game one. Orton finished with three singles, one double, two runs and one RBI. Snell hit for the cycle collecting a homerun, a triple, a double, and a single. He also added two runs and four RBI.

Starting right-hander Matt Gibbs (1-0) nabbed the win for the Spartans with three strikeouts and zero walks in his five innings on the mound. The loss went to KSU's Alan Morrison (0-1).

Game two was a much different story as the two teams remained neck-and-neck through nine and into an extra six outs.

Kent opened up the game once again with two runs in the first with single advances from Rohan and Winter. With runners on second and third following a passed ball, Snell tied the score at 2-2 with a ball through the right side.

UNCG took a brief lead in the second off a sacrifice fly from Carrier, but KSU tied it right back up in the next inning with a Rohan solo shot over the left field wall.

Centerfielder Corey Overholtzer gave to the lead back to the Spartans with a solo homerun of his own to open the fourth inning. The blue and gold held onto the lead through the fifth inning before KSU was able to tie it up once again. With a runner on second, Chris Tremblay doubled to right center and brought the score to 4-4

Carrier put the Spartans in front once again with a single through the left side, but Kent responded in the top of the eighth to tie the game for the fourth time.

With both teams held scoreless through to the end of the ninth, the game was sent into extra innings. A few fielding changes by the Spartans seemed to be slowing down the Flashes, but a two-run rally on two gave KSU the lead and the eventual 7-5 win.

Quinones and Overholtzer both went 3-for-4 at the plate with Overholtzer adding a run and an RBI.

Jon Pokory (1-0) earned the win for the Golden Flashes. Sophomore Rob Gilliam (0-1) took the loss after giving up five hits and two runs in his 2.1 innings at the rubber.

The Spartans and the Flashes will finish out the series with a 1pm game on Sunday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium.

For news about UNCG baseball, complete season schedule, and any other information regarding Spartan athletics log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.

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Game One

Score by innings R H E

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Kent State 200 000 010 - 3 7 2

UNC Greensboro 110 031 150 - 12 15 0

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Pitchers: KSU Carpenter; Morrison (5); Davis (8)

Pitchers: UNCG Gibbs; Shelton (6); White (8); Gilliam (8)

Win Matt Gibbs (1-0)