GREENSBORO, NC UNC Greensboro exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning to cap off a late rally to defeat Lafayette, 15-8, on Tuesday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

Sophomore Michael Wall went 3-4 with two triples, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Spartans (3-9) at the plate and Zach Furl and Matt Parish combined to pitch 6 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to help secure the win.

Lafayette starter Ryan Hanna left the game with a four run lead after six innings for the Leopards (7-5), but the bullpen allowed 11 runs in the losing effort.

UNCG jumped out to a three run lead in the bottom of the first after the Spartans strung together five consecutive hits. With one down in the inning, Wall stepped to the plate and belted his first triple of the game on a line drive to right center. Ray Quinones followed with a single to score Wall from third. Freshman Trevor Edwards then ripped a double down the left field line to move Quinones over to third. Ed Jayjack kept the hits rolling as his single to right center scored Edwards and Quinones to make the score 3-0.

After breezing through the first two innings, UNCG starter Alex Shelton ran into trouble in the third inning. The first nine Leopard batters reached base safely as Lafayette put eight runs on the board in the inning. Only four of those runs were earned as the Leopards were aided by an error on a double play ball early in the inning. Furl came in to limit the damage and recorded the final out of the inning.

Neither team was able to score in the fourth and fifth inning, but the Spartans scored one in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 8-4. With two down, Pedro Leon was issued a walk and Wall followed that with his second triple of the game to score Leon from first.

After Hanna exited after the sixth inning, the floodgates opened for the Spartans. UNCG would go on to score 11 runs off of four Leopard pitchers in the final two innings. Those 11 runs would come off of only three hits as the Leopard bullpen would issue eight walks in those two innings.

The Spartans would push four runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh to knot the game at 8 apiece. Edwards led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a balk before advancing to third on an Ed Jayjack fly out. Raymond Frias and Jacob Golliday would follow with walks to load the bases. After a fly out to left field, pinch hitter Joey Frabasile hit a grounder to the pitcher who rushed his throw and threw it down the right field line to score. That scored Edwards and Frias to pull the Spartans within 8-6. Leon followed with a single to left field to score Golliday and Frabasile to tie the game at 8.

With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth, UNCG exploded for seven runs on only two hits. Edwards once again led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on Jayjack's single through the right side. Frias was up next and advanced on a fielder's choice as Edwards was thrown out at third. Pinch hitter Kris Richards loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch and Brent O'Berry knocked in the winning run as his double scored Jayjack and Frias. Pinch hitter Brad Raynor loaded the bases once again after he was hit by a pitch. Leon followed with another to walk to score O'Berry from third. An error by the third baseman on Ray Quinone's hit to the left side plated two more Spartans and the final run would come on a groundout to make the final score 15-8.

UNCG will turn around and face Lafayette again on Wednesday in the final game of the two-game midweek series. The Spartans and the Leopards will play at 6 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

AGATE

UNC Greensboro 15, Lafayette 8

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Lafayette..................008 000 000 -  8  8  2      (7-5)

UNC Greensboro.......300 001 47X  -  15  11  2    (3-9)

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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro Alex Shelton, Zach Furl, Matt Parish. Lafayette Ryan Hanna, Sean McGrath, Ian Dickson, John Gentile, Joseph Verdon.

Win- Matt Parish (1-0) Loss- Ian Dickson (0-1)  T-3:03  A-205

- UNCG -