BOONE, N.C. - UNC Greensboro trailed just 3-0 in the early going, but Appalachian State blew open the game with seven unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning en route to a 12-1 win over the Spartans on Friday evening at Beaver Field at Jim & Bettie Smith Stadium.
Matt Andress picked up his seventh win of the season for the Mountaineers (25-7-1, 8-7-1 Southern Conference) after allowing just one run on six hits over seven innings. Blake Hassebrock suffered the loss after allowing eight runs, three earned, on four hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Mountaineers were led at the plate by Wes Hobson who went 3-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Jeremy Dowdy chipped in two RBI and two runs as well.
Ed Jayjack led the Spartans (14-20, 2-13 SoCon) after going 1-4 with a double and run scored. John Cucchiarella had the lone RBI for UNCG.
The Mountaineers kicked off the scoring with a pair of runs in second inning. Back-to-back singles by Jerod Faggart and Jeremy Dowdy led off the inning and David Towarnicky was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tyler Zupcic and Doug Jones were both issued bases-loaded walks to give ASU a 2-0 lead.
Hobson made it 3-0 in favor of the home team as he took a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left center for his ninth home run of the season.
The Mountaineers continued to pour on the runs as they pushed seven unearned runs across the plate after four errors and just three hits. Towarnicky led off by reaching on a fielding error and then Zupcic reached on a throwing error to put runners on second and third. After a groundout, Jones walked to load the bases.
Towarnicky then scored on a wild pitch and Zupcic followed on a play that included two UNCG errors. The Mountaineers scored one more run on a groundout to go ahead, 6-0. ASU added four more runs on three singles in the inning to stretch its lead to 10-0.
The Spartans were finally able to get on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly. Jayjack led off the inning with a double off the top of the wall in right center before moving to third on a wild pitch. Cucchiarella the delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 10-1.
The Mountaineers capped off their scoring with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, highlighted by a solo home run from Jason Wallace, to make the final score, 12-1.
The Spartans and Mountaineers will play the second game of the series on Saturday at 3 p.m.
AGATE
Appalachian State 12, UNC Greensboro 1
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UNC Greensboro...... 000 001 000 - 1 6 5 (14-20, 2-13)
Appalachian State... 021 700 20X - 12 12 0 (25-7-1, 8-7-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Blake Hassebrock; Greg Smith(4); Alex Shelton(4); Wes McBride(8) and Ed Jayjack. Appalachian State - Matt Andress; David Port(8) and Jeremy Dowdy; Chris Trappy.
Win-Matt Andress(7-2) Loss-Blake Hassebrock(0-4) T-2:37 A-717
HR ASU - Wes Hobson; Jason Wallace.
Weather: 72 and clear
Smith faced 4 batters in the 4th.
- UNCG -
