GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNC Greensboro got a grand slam from Lloyd Enzor in the top of the third inning, but Appalachian State rallied for six unanswered runs as the Spartans fell, 6-5, on Saturday afternoon at Smith Stadium.
Will Helms came in to pitch 1 1/3 inning of scoreless relief for the Mountaineers (26-7-1, 9-7-1 Southern Conference) to pick up his third win of the season. Chris Patterson closed out the final two innings for his SoCon-leading 11th save of the season.
Reliever Warren Slack was credited with the loss after pitching four innings and allowing two runs on five hits.
The Spartans (14-21, 2-14 SoCon) were led by Enzor who went 2-4 with four RBI and a run scored. Corey Overholtzer went 1-4 with an RBI and run scored for UNCG as well.
Jeremy Dowdy paced the Mountaineers with a 2-4 performance with two RBI. Hector Crespo also added a pair of RBI on a two-run home run.
The Spartans jumped out to an early lead in the top of the third inning with four runs. With one out in the inning, Harry Slade drew a walk before Drew Gehringer walked on four pitches. Corey Overholtzer was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Lloyd Enzor. Enzor took a 2-2 pitch over the right center wall for his first career grand slam and fourth home run this year.
The Mountaineers came right back though in the bottom half of the third to cut the Spartan lead down to 4-3. Doug Jones led off the inning with a walk and then came around to score on a double to left center by Ryan Stetson. Crespo followed with a line-drive home run down the left field line that just cleared the wall to pull ASU within a run.
Appalachian State went on to load the bases later in the third inning, but reliever Warren Slack struck out Jason Wallace to end the inning.
The Mountaineers loaded the bases again in the fifth inning, but once again Slack was able to get out of the jam as he induced an inning-ending groundout to preserve the Spartan lead.
Appalachian State finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning with a pair of runs to take its first lead of the afternoon. Wes Hobson led off the inning with a single through the left side and Jerod Faggart followed with a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third.
Jeremy Dowdy followed with a double to left center to score Hobson and Faggart and put the Mountaineers ahead, 5-4.
The Mountaineers added one more run in the bottom of the eighth as Jones led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a groundout to make the score, 6-4.
Slade hit a one-out ball in the top of the ninth that went off the left fielder's glove to allow him to reach second. He moved over to third on a groundout before scoring on an infield single by Corey Overholtzer to make it a 6-5 ballgame. That was all of the offense UNCG could muster in the ninth though as Patterson got the final Spartan to strikeout to end the game.
The two teams will wrap up the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest.
AGATE
Appalachian State 6, UNC Greensboro 5
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UNC Greensboro...... 004 000 001 - 5 6 1 (14-21, 2-14)
Appalachian State... 003 000 21X - 6 9 2 (26-7-1, 9-7-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Matt Parish; Warren Slack(3); Colby Hyatt(7) and Zach Leach.
Appalachian State - Tyler Jackson; Will Helms(6); Chris Patterson(8) and Jerod Faggart.
Win-Will Helms(3-0) Save-Chris Patterson(11) Loss-Warren Slack(2-8) T-3:00 A-841
HR UNCG - Lloyd Enzor.
HR ASU - Hector Crespo.
Weather: 62 and sunny
Parish faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
Slack faced 3 batters in the 7th.
- UNCG -
