GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG received a strong pitching performance from Warren Slack and held off a ninth-inning rally from Western Carolina as the Spartans defeated the Catamounts, 5-4, on Friday evening in the Southern Conference opener for both teams.
Slack went 8 1/3 innings for the Spartans (8-5, 1-0 Southern Conference) and allowed just three runs on seven hits to move to a perfect 3-0 on the year. He also struck out eight batters without yielding a walk. Jonathan Jones picked up his first save of the season after coming in to pitch to the final batter.
Preseason first-team All-SoCon pick Matt Benedict was credited with the loss after UNCG scored five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Trevor Edwards led UNCG at the plate with his 2-5 performance, including three RBI and a run scored. Cole Harrison also had a pair of hits and a run scored, while Chris Barker added an RBI single and run scored.
The Catamounts were paced by Adam Martin who went 1-2 with a three-run home run and Dykota Spiess hit a solo home run in his only at-bat of the game.
UNCG jumped on the Catamounts early as it put up two runs in the bottom of the first to take control early. Barker led off the inning by being hit by a pitch for a SoCon-leading seventh time. Bobby Martin followed with a five-pitch walk before both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Brindle.
Edwards then followed with a single to center field that scored both runners to put the Spartans in front, 2-0.
It was Edwards who struck again for the Spartans in the bottom of the third as he hit a towering shot over the right field wall in the bottom of the third to give UNCG a 3-0 advantage.
The Spartans continued to pour on the offense as they added an extra run in the bottom of the fifth. Martin led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. After a UNCG strikeout, Andrew Spleth and Troelstrup hit back-to-back singles to score Martin.
UNCG continued to play small ball in order to manufacture another run in the sixth inning. Harrison led off with a single right back up the middle and was able to advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Gehringer. Barker then delivered a single through the right side of the infield to score Harrison and make it 5-0.
The Catamounts weren't able to get to Slack until the eighth inning as Slack allowed just four hits and no runs, while striking out six in the opening seven innings.
In the top of the eighth, Spiess hit a one-out solo home run down the right field line that broke up the shutout and made it 5-1.
With a four-run lead, Slack came back out in the ninth inning looking for a complete game. After getting the first batter out, Slack yielded a bloop single and a double down the right field line that spelled the end to his impressive evening.
Zach Furl came in to replace Slack and yielded a three-run homer to Martin over the left field wall that pulled the Catamounts within 5-4. After Furl got Aaron Attaway to fly out to right field, Jones came in and induced an infield popup to close out the game.
The Spartans and Catamounts will meet in the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE
UNCG 5, Western Carolina 4
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Western Carolina.... 000 000 013 - 4 8 0 (7-4, 0-1)
UNCG................ 201 011 00X - 5 8 0 (8-5, 1-0)
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Pitchers: Western Carolina - Matt Benedict; Kyle Stewart(6); Darron Dotson(7) and Stephen Notaro; Adam Martin. UNCG - Warren Slack; Zach Furl(9); Jonathan Jones(9) and Trevor Edwards.
Win-Warren Slack(3-0) Save-Jonathan Jones(1) Loss-Matt Benedict(0-1) T-2:41 A-213
HR WCU - Adam Martin; Dykota Spiess.
HR UNCG - Trevor Edwards.
Weather: 47 and sunny
- UNCG -
