BOONE, N.C. – Lloyd Enzor hit his second grand slam in as many days and Corey Overholtzer broke the school record for triples in a career as UNC Greensboro defeated Appalachian State in the series finale, 9-3, on Sunday afternoon at Smith Stadium.
Colby Hyatt picked up the win for the Spartans (15-21, 3-14 Southern Conference) after pitching the final seven innings of relief and allowing just one run on four hits. Nathan Hyatt was credited with the loss as giving up four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Enzor led UNCG at the plate as he went 2-5 with five RBI and two runs scored. Ray Quinones added the other three RBI for the Spartans.
David Towarnicky paced the Mountaineers (26-8-1, 9-8-1 SoCon) with a 2-4 performance and two RBI. Jeremy Dowdy also went 2-4 with an RBI and run scored.
The Spartans wasted no time in getting on the board as they pushed two runs across in the top of the first inning. Harry Slade led off the game with a walk and then moved over to second on a single by Drew Gehringer. Overholtzer then drew a walk to load the bases with no outs in the inning.
Appalachian State got the next Spartan to strike out and then induced an infield pop out. UNCG wouldn't let the opportunity pass though as Quinones delivered a single to center field to score Slade and Gehringer and give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
That lead didn't last long though as the Mountaineers immediately responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game at two. With one out, Hector Crespo walked and then Wes Hobson moved him over to second on a single through the right side.
After a lineout to third base, Dowdy and Towarnicky hit back-to-back RBI singles to make it a 2-2 ballgame after one inning of play.
The Mountaineers added a two-out rally in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Dowdy singled up the middle and Towarnicky followed with a double to right center to allow Dowdy to come around and score and put ASU ahead, 3-2.
The Spartans took the lead back though in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. With one out, Overholtzer tripled off the top of the wall in right field. That triple was the 17th of his career and broke the school record set by Ryan Gordon in 2004.
Enzor then delivered a single to right field to score Overholtzer and tie the game at three. Ed Jayjack followed with a walk and the runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch. After a strikeout made it two outs, Enzor scored on another wild pitch to put the Spartans in front, 4-3.
UNCG added an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Jayjack hit a one-out triple to left center. The ball took a high bounce off of the turf over the outfielder's head and went to the wall. Quinones then came up and delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to allow Jayjack to score and make it 5-3.
Enzor helped the Spartans blow the game open in the top of the eighth inning as he hit his second grand slam to put UNCG ahead, 9-3. With one out, Slade reached on a fielder's choice to make two outs in the inning. Gehringer followed with a walk and then Overholtzer hit an infield single to load the bases. Enzor then took a 1-0 pitch well beyond the wall in right field for a grand slam.
The Spartans cap off their eight-game road trip on Wednesday as they make the short trip down I-40 to face Wake Forest at 6 p.m.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 9, Appalachian State 3
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UNC Greensboro...... 200 020 140 - 9 10 3 (15-21, 3-14)
Appalachian State... 201 000 000 - 3 7 0 (26-8-1, 9-8-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Tyler Hollstegge; Colby Hyatt(3) and Ed Jayjack. Appalachian State - Nathan Hyatt; Will Helms(5); Taylor Miller(7); David Port(9) and Jeremy Dowdy.
Win-Colby Hyatt (4-3) Loss-Nathan Hyatt (2-1) T-2:33 A-309
HR UNCG - Lloyd Enzor.
Weather: 52 and sunny
- UNCG -