GREENSBORO, N.C. - College of Charleston scored at least one run in the final five innings and got seven strong innings from starter Kevin Decker as UNC Greensboro fell to the Cougars, 9-2, on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Decker moved to a perfect 3-0 with the win as he allowed just two runs on three hits in his seven innings. UNCG starter Warren Slacked picked up the loss after giving up four runs, two earned, on six hits in 5 1/3 innings, while striking out five batters.
Harry Slade went 2-4 for the Spartans on Saturday and Corey Overholtzer and Taylor Schwarz each added an RBI.
Matt Leeds led the Cougars at the plate as he went 2-4 with four RBI and a runs scored. Robert Pritcher also had a nice afternoon as he went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Cougars were the first team on the board as they scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, Baker Knox reached on a fielding error before advancing to second on a walk by Cole Rakar. Rob Kral was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and Leeds was also hit by a pitch to score Knox from third. Jose Rodriguez then hit into a fielder's choice to score Rakar and put College of Charleston ahead, 2-0.
UNCG got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third when Eric Brindle and Schwarz drew back-to-back one-out walks. After a walk to Chris Barker to load the bases, Overholtzer hit an infield single to score Brindle and make it a 2-1 game.
The score stayed that way until the fifth inning when Rakar led off with a double to left field. Leeds delivered a double of his own two batters later to score Rakar and put the Cougars in front, 3-1.
The Spartans pulled within 3-2 in the bottom half of the fifth when Slade hit a leadoff double down the left field line. He advanced to third and then scored on a pair of groundouts to make it a one run game.
Pritcher led off the top of the sixth inning for the Cougars with a double to left center and scored two batters later on a groundout to second base. Kral would add an RBI single later in the inning to score Rakar from second and make it a 5-2 game.
The Cougars kept adding to their lead as Greg Blake hit a single to right field and Pritcher knocked him in with his second double of the afternoon.
CofC went ahead 8-2 in the top of the eighth when Knox hit a leadoff single and Leeds took a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall two batters later for his sixth home run of the year.
The Cougars capped off their scoring in the top of the ninth when Pritcher hit a triple off the top of the wall in center field and scored a batter later on a sacrifice fly to make the final score, 9-2.
The two teams will finish the three-game series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. game at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE
Coll. of Charleston 9, UNC Greensboro 2
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Coll. of Charleston. 002 012 121 - 9 13 1 (16-5, 3-2)
UNC Greensboro...... 001 010 000 - 2 5 1 (11-7, 0-2)
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Pitchers: Coll. of Charleston - Kevin Decker; Owen Brittle(8); Cameron Holmes(9) and Robert Pritcher. UNC Greensboro - Warren Slack; Colby Hyatt(6) and Ed Jayjack.
Win-Kevin Decker(3-0) Loss-Warren Slack(1-3) T-2:37 A-311
HR COFC - Matt Leeds.
Weather: 72 and sunny
- UNCG -
