GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNC Greensboro scored six runs in the first inning, but Princeton fought back for five in the second inning and went on to defeat the Spartans, 8-7, in 12 innings at the UNCG Baseball Stadium on Monday evening.
The Tigers (1-6) received a tremendous pitching effort from reliever Matt Bowman. Bowman pitched the final seven innings without allowing a hit and striking out five Spartans to receive his first win of the season. He also had the game-winning RBI single in the 12th inning. Colby Hyatt picked up his first loss this year after allowing one run over four innings of relief.
Nate Baird went 3-5 with three runs scored for the Tigers and Matt Broscious added two RBI and a run scored on a 2-6 night.
The Spartans were led by Lloyd Enzor who went 3-6 with two RBI and a run scored. Ed Jayjack also knocked in a pair runs for UNCG.
The game started off well for the Spartans as they put 12 batters to the plate in the first inning and jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Harry Slade led off the game and reached on an error before Corey Overholtzer followed with a walk. A walk to Ray Quinones loaded the bases and Jayjack scored Slade and Overholtzer on a double to right center to put UNCG ahead, 2-0.
Enzor followed with a double of his own to push Quinones and Jayjack across the plate and put the Spartans up 4-0. Leach moved to third on a groundout before scoring on another groundout. Kris Richards then stepped to the plate and hit another double, this time to right field. Eric Brindle knocked him in with an RBI single to right field to make it 6-0 in favor of the home side.
The Tigers refused to quit though as they immediately responded for five runs in the top of the second inning. Sam Mulroy began the inning with a single to center field and Broscious followed with a home run to right field to pull Princeton within, 6-2.
Alex Flink then walked and Nate Baird was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Tom Boggiano then reached on a fielder's choice, but the throw to second to get Baird went into left field, which allowed Flink and Baird to score and make it a 6-4 game. Boggiano scored later in the inning on a fielder's choice to make it a 6-5 ballgame.
The Spartans were able to tack on one more run in the bottom of the fifth however to take a 7-5 lead. With one out and Enzor on first, Drew Gehringer singled up the middle to move Leach to third. Gehringer was then caught in a rundown between first and second, which allowed Leach to bolt home and steal home.
Gehringer's single to center field was the last hit the Spartans would collect the rest of the evening. Bowman came into the game in the sixth inning and faced just 23 batters, two over the minimum, and throwing just 78 pitches in seven innings.
The Tigers cut the Spartan lead back to one in the top of the sixth when Baird led off with a single to right center. After stealing second, Bair scored three batters later on a single up the middle by Andrew Whitener to make the score 7-6.
The Spartans entered the top of the ninth inning with the lead, but Whitener led off the inning with a double to right center. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and then Brandon Englert delivered a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed Whitener to score and tie the game at seven.
UNCG led off the bottom of the ninth with a pair of walks, but left runners on the corners as Bowman struck out the final batter of the inning.
Neither team was able to produce too much offense in the extra frames before Baird delivered a one-out single in the top of the 12th. He stole second again and advanced to third on a groundout. Bowman then stepped to the plate and capped off an incredible night by singling to center field to give Princeton the 8-7 victory.
The Spartans return to action as they host Harvard for a two-game midweek series beginning Wednesday at 6 p.m.
AGATE
Princeton 8, UNC Greensboro 7
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Princeton........... 050 001 001 001 - 8 12 1 (1-6)
UNC Greensboro...... 600 010 000 000 - 7 8 6 (9-5)
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Pitchers: Princeton - Stuber, Langford; Bowman, Matt(6) and Mulroy, Sam. UNC Greensboro - Matt Parish; Tyler Hollstegge(2); Zach Furl(6); Colby Hyatt(9) and Ed Jayjack.
Win-Bowman, Matt(1-1) Loss-Colby Hyatt(1-1) T-3:23 A-191
HR PRIN - Broscious, Matt.
Weather: 58, partly cloudy, wind 11-22
Parish faced 6 batters in the 2nd.
Furl faced 1 batter in the 9th.
- UNCG -
