GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG trailed 5-0 after four innings of play, but rallied to complete the sweep over Western Carolina, 9-6, on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
It marked the first time UNCG (10-5, 3-0 Southern Conference) has swept an opening SoCon series since 2008 and the first time the Spartans have swept Western Carolina since 2004.
Tyler Hollstegge moved to 2-0 on the season after pitching the final three innings and giving up no hits and no walks, while striking out one. Reliever Brandon Johnson was credited with the loss for the Catamounts (7-6, 0-3 SoCon) after giving up five runs, two earned, on five hits in three innings of work.
Cody Walker had a 2-for-5 day at the plate with a triple and pair of RBI and Joe Hager also added a pair of RBI. Trevor Edwards went 1-2 with two walks and added a solo home run.
Ross Heffley led the Catamounts with two RBI and a run scored on a 2-4 performance. Stephen Notaro, Cameron Dullnig and Adam Martin also added an RBI each.
UNCG held the Catamounts without a hit in the first three innings, but Western Carolina exploded for five runs in the top of the fourth inning. Matt Johns led off with a double down the left field line and Heffley followed with a home run down the left field line to make it 2-0.
The extra-base hits continued to come for the Catamounts as Austin Schultz doubled to right center. Notaro followed with a double of his own to left center to score Schultz and make it 3-0.
Dullnig then hit a double down the left field line and later scored on a wild pitch in the inning to make it 5-0.
The Spartans began to chip away at the Catamount lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bobby Martin led off with a single to center field before stealing second. Eric Brindle followed with a single to left field that scored Martin, but Brindle was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. Edwards then hit his second home run of the series, this time a solo shot to right field, to make it 5-2.
After Western Carolina stretched its lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Martin, UNCG mounted its rally to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. John Hein, Ray Crawford and Drew Gehringer all singled to lead off the inning and load the bases.
Hein then scored on a passed ball before Crawford and Gehringer scored on a triple to left center by Walker that make it 6-5. Martin then singled through the left side of the infield to score Walker and tie the game at six.
The Spartans carried their momentum into the seventh inning as Gehringer delivered a one-out single to left field and then stole second. After a UNCG strikeout, Martin hit a groundball to the shortstop, but he misplayed it and Gehringer was able to come around and score the go-ahead run.
UNCG added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to stretch its lead to 9-6. With two outs and runners on second and third, Hager slapped a single to left center to score both runners and make it a three-run contest.
The Spartans return to the diamond on Wednesday as they host Princeton at 6 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE
UNCG 9, Western Carolina 6
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Western Carolina.... 000 501 000 - 6 9 2 (7-6, 0-3)
UNCG................ 000 024 12X - 9 13 0 (10-5, 3-0)
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Pitchers: Western Carolina - Dakotah Thomas; Brandon Johnson(6) and Stephen Notaro; Adam Martin. UNCG - Colby Hyatt; Dylan Hathcock(4); Tyler Hollstegge(7) and Trevor Edwards; Cambric Moye.
Win-Tyler Hollstegge(2-0) Loss-Brandon Johnson(3-1) T-2:45 A-217
HR WCU - Ross Heffley.
HR UNCG - Trevor Edwards.
Weather: 68 and sunny
Hyatt faced 4 batters in the 4th.
Thomas faced 2 batters in the 6th.
- UNCG -
