GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNC Greensboro reliever Colby Hyatt pitched the final seven innings and Ed Jayjack hit a go-ahead two-run triple down the right field line in the bottom of the eighth to help lead the Spartans to a 7-5 win over Wofford on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Hyatt allowed only two runs on seven hits during the final seven innings for the Spartans (17-21, 4-14 Southern Conference) to pick up his fifth win of the season. Pete Noordsy was credited with the loss after the only batter he faced in the eighth inning walked and eventually scored the winning run.
Jayjack led UNCG at the plate on Friday as he went 2-5 with a pair of RBI, while Chris Barker went 2-3 with a solo home run in the first inning. Harry Slade added a pair of RBI for the second-straight game for the Spartans as well.
The Terriers (11-26, 4-12 SoCon) were led by Landon Bennett who went 2-3 with two runs scored and David Roney who had a 3-4 performance with one run scored.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, Alex Frederick and Slade drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Drew Gehringer then laid a sacrifice bunt down and the pitcher tried to catch Frederick going to third, but his throw sailed over the third baseman's head to allow Frederick to score and tie the game at five.
After a groundout and strikeout, Jayjack delivered a triple into the corner down the right field line to score Slade and Gehringer and give UNCG the 7-5 lead.
The Spartans struck first in the first inning as Barker took a 2-1 pitch over the scoreboard in right field for his second home run of the season to give UNCG a 1-0 lead.
The Terriers immediately responded with a trio of runs in the top of the second inning to take a 3-1 lead. Bennett led off the inning with a walk and then moved to third on a double to right center by Roney. A ground out to shortstop allowed Bennett to score and tie the game at one.
Clark Wise then singled up the middle to score Roney and give Wofford its first lead of the evening. James Foster and Alex Lee then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before Kyle Behrendt was hit by a pitch to walk home Wise from third.
The Spartans bounced back though with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning to retake the lead. Ray Quinones led off with an opposite-field single before advancing to second after Eric Brindle was hit by a pitch. Kris Richards loaded the bases after laying a bunt down the third base line for an infield single. After a line out, Slade cleared the bases with a double to right center. His hit allowed Quinones and Brindle to easily score and Richards also scored on the play on a throwing error by Wofford to put UNCG back ahead, 4-3.
After four innings, the Terriers were finally able to reach Hyatt as they put together a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Behrendt and Mac Doyle hit back-to-back triples to tie the game at four. Bennett then hit into a fielder's choice as Doyle was thrown out at the plate by Quinones as he tried to score the go-ahead run.
A Roney single to right field moved Bennett to second before a single to left center by Konstantine Diamaduros scored Bennett to put Wofford in front, 5-4.
The Spartans and Terriers will meet on Saturday for the second game of the series beginning at 2 p.m.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro 7, Wofford 5
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Wofford............. 030 000 200 - 5 10 2 (11-26, 4-12)
UNC Greensboro...... 100 300 03X - 7 10 1 (17-21, 4-14)
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Pitchers: Wofford - Tom Dolinak; Cash Collins(6); Bobby Streisel(7); Pete Noordsy(8); Drew Sheridan(8) and David Roney. UNC Greensboro - Blake Hassebrock; Colby Hyatt(3) and Ed Jayjack.
Win-Colby Hyatt (5-3) Loss-Pete Noordsy (0-4) T-3:10 A-247
HR UNCG - Chris Barker.
Weather: 69 and partly cloudy
Streisel faced 1 batter in the 8th.
Noordsy faced 1 batter in the 8th.
- UNCG -
