GREENSBORO, N.C. – Pinch hitter Brad Raynor delivered a walk-off two-out two-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap off another ninth-inning comeback for the Spartans as UNC Greensboro defeated Princeton, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. It was the third ninth-inning comeback for the Spartans this season.
Colby Hyatt picked up the win for the Spartans (9-4) after pitching the final 2 2/3 innings and giving up just two hits and striking out two. Starter Warren Slack had a nice effort as well as he pitched six innings and gave up just three runs, only one earned, while tying his career-high with eight strikeouts.
Raynor's single spoiled the efforts of Tiger starter David Palms who threw 108 pitches. Palms pitched 7 2/3 innings while allowing just one unearned run on two hits and striking out six batters. Matt Grabowski was credited with the loss for the Tigers (0-6) after giving up three runs on three hits in just one inning of work.
Lloyd Enzor and Zach Leach each went 2-4 at the plate to lead the Spartans, while Ray Quinones and Taylor Schwarz added an RBI each. Noel Gonzales-Luna went 2-3 with a pair of RBI for the Tigers.
After the Spartans recorded just two hits in the first eight innings, things looked bleak for UNCG after Grabowski retired the first batter in the bottom of the ninth. Enzor followed with a single to right field though and Leach delivered a double off the wall in left center to move Enzor to third. Chris Barker drew a walk to load the bases before a groundout by Schwarz scored Enzor to make it a 3-2 game. That was when Raynor stepped to the plate and took the first pitch he saw through the left side of the infield to score pinch runner Joey Frabasile and Barker to give UNCG the 4-3 victory.
UNCG was the first team to get on the board though as the Spartans pushed one run across the plate in the bottom of the first. Drew Gehringer led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error and then advanced to second on a groundout to the first baseman. Gehringer then stole third before Quinones hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Gehringer to score and give UNCG a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers got to Slack in the top of the second as they scored three runs although just one was earned. Slack struck out the first batter before Sam Mulroy singled to center field. After advancing on a wild pitch, Mulroy went to third after John Mishu reached on a UNCG fielding error. Matt Broscious singled through the right side to score Mulroy and tie the game at one apiece. Slack struck out the next batter, but Gonzales-Luna doubled to left field that scored Mishu and Broscious to put Princeton ahead, 3-2.
Neither team was able to provide much offense for the rest of the game until Princeton had runners on second and third with only one out in the seventh inning. Hyatt came out of the bullpen though for the Spartans and got the next two batters to ground out on just four pitches to get UNCG out of the jam.
The Spartans will look for their third sweep this season as the two teams face off on Monday at 6 p.m.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 4, Princeton 3
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Princeton........... 030 000 000 - 3 9 3 (0-6)
UNC Greensboro...... 100 000 003 - 4 5 2 (9-4)
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Pitchers: Princeton - Palms, David; Grabowski, Matt(8) and Mulroy, Sam. UNC Greensboro - Warren Slack; Zach Furl(7); Colby Hyatt(7) and Zach Leach.
Win-Colby Hyatt(1-0) Loss-Grabowski, Matt(0-1) T-2:13 A-165
Weather: 55 and sunny
- UNCG -
