GREENSBORO, N.C. - Army exploded for five runs in the first inning and Matt Fouch and Kirk Porter made it stand as UNC Greensboro fell to the Black Knights, 6-3, on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

Fouch pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Black Knights (3-1) to pick up the win after allowing three runs on five hits. Porter came in to pitch the final 3 2/3 innings, while giving up only two hits to pick up his first save of the season.

UNCG (6-2) starter Matt Parish picked up his first loss of the season after giving up five runs, four earned, on three hits in just a third of an inning.

The Spartans were led at the plate by Ed Jayjack who went 1-3 with a solo home run and Ray Quinones who was 2-4 with a home run of his own.

Shaun Wixted and Kevin McKague each had two RBI for the Black Knights, while David Darnell and Zach Price added two hits apiece.

Price led off the game with a walk and Darnell followed with a single to put runners on first and second. After an infield fly, Joey Henshaw walked to load the bases before McKague delivered a two-RBI single up the middle. After an RBI on a fielding error, Wixted doubled off the left-field line to score McKague and Henshaw and put Army ahead 5-0.

The Spartans were able to get one run back in the second inning after Jayjack led off the inning with a walk. After a strikeout, Zach Leach doubled to right center to move Jayjack to third. Jayjack then scored on a groundout to the third baseman.

UNCG showed a little power in the fourth inning as Jayjack hit a home run to right center that hit off the top of the wall and went over. Quinones made it back-to-back homers as his ball just narrowly stayed fair down the right field line to pull the Spartans within 5-3.

The Black Knights added an insurance run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Henshaw to go ahead 6-3.

It appeared as if UNCG was going to get a run back in the bottom half of the inning after Drew Gehringer led off with a double off the left field wall. With two outs, Jayjack hit a blooper towards center, but second baseman Price made a diving grab in short center field to get the Black Knights out of the inning.

The two teams return on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second game of the three-game series.

AGATE

Army 6, UNC Greensboro 3
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Army................ 500 000 010 0 -  6  9  2      (3-1)
UNC Greensboro...... 010 200 000 X -  3  7  2      (6-2)
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Pitchers: Army - Fouch, Matt; Porter, Kirk(6) and Watkins, J.T.. UNC Greensboro - Matt Parish; Zach Furl(1); Tyler Hollstegge(4); Wes McBride(6); Greg Smith(7); Colby Hyatt(7) and Ed Jayjack.
Win-Fouch, Matt(1-0)  Save-Porter, Kirk(1)  Loss-Matt Parish(0-1)  T-3:10  A-117
HR UNCG - Ed Jayjack; Ray Quinones.
Weather: 48, sunny, wind 10-19 mph

- UNCG -