GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sophomore Zach Leach had three RBI and UNCG got a solid pitching performance out of Colby Hyatt as the Spartans took the rubber game from Appalachian State, 5-3, to win the series on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Hyatt pitched six strong inning for UNCG (13-6, 5-1 Southern Conference) as he allowed only three runs, two earned, to pick up his second win of the year. Tyler Hollstegge came in to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his third save of the season.
Appalachian State starter Seth Grant moved to 1-4 on the year after allowing four runs on five hits in six innings of work.
Leach led all hitters with a 2-3 performance at the plate to go along with his three RBI. Designated hitter Joe Hager went 1-1 with a double, RBI and run scored, while Thomas Troelstrup added the other RBI for the Spartans.
Tyler Zupcic led the Mountaineers (9-11, 1-8 SoCon) after going 2-5 with an RBI and two runs scored to go along with his solo home run. Jeremy Dowdy also had a pair of RBI and Jack Myers and Doug Jones each added a pair of hits.
Similar to Saturday, Appalachian State jumped on the board first as it put up a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Zupcic led off the game with a single to right field and then moved to second two batters later on a single by Myers.
The Mountaineers were able to load the bases when Daniel Kassouf hit into a fielder's choice and Myers reached second on a throwing error by UNCG. Dowdy then came up and delivered a two-run single to center field to give the visitors the early 2-0 lead.
The Spartans were able to get one of those runs back, though, in the bottom of the second. With one out, Hager hit a double down in the left field corner and Leach followed with a single to center field to make it 2-1.
UNCG came right back in the third inning to take a lead it would never relinquish. After a fly out to start the inning, Bobby Martin singled up the middle and the advanced to second on a hit-and-run single by Trevor Edwards.
Andrew Spleth then drew a walk to load the bases before Troelstrup was hit by a pitch to allow Martin to trot home and tie the game at two. Hager then drew a five-pitch walk to score Edwards before Leach hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored Spleth to give the Spartans a 4-2 advantage.
Things stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Zupcic led off with a solo home run for Appalachian State to make it a 4-3 game.
UNCG had an answer in the bottom half of the inning as Spleth got things going with a one-out single to left field. Troelstrup followed with a walk and then Spleth was able to tag up on a fly out to right field to advance to third. Leach came through with another clutch single to left center to allow Spleth to score and put UNCG back ahead by two runs.
The Spartans return to the diamond on Wednesday as they host cross-town rival North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE
UNCG 5, Appalachian State 3
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Appalachian State... 200 000 100 - 3 8 1 (9-11, 1-8)
UNCG................ 013 000 10X - 5 7 3 (13-6, 5-1)
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Pitchers: Appalachian State - Seth Grant; Zach Joyce(7); Kurt Frisbee(7) and Jeremy Dowdy. UNCG - Colby Hyatt; Jonathan Jones(7); Tyler Hollstegge(9) and Trevor Edwards.
Win-Colby Hyatt(2-1) Save-Tyler Hollstegge(3) Loss-Seth Grant(1-4) T-2:26 A-384
HR ASU - Tyler Zupcic.
Weather: 55 and cloudy
Hyatt faced 1 batter in the 7th.
- UNCG -
