GREENSBORO, N.C. – NC State pitcher Ethan Ogburn nearly pitched five no-hit innings and the Wolfpack jumped out to an early lead as UNCG fell, 9-1, on Tuesday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
In total, Ogburn pitched six innings and allowed just three hits and struck out two batters. His no-hitter attempt was broken up with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when Ray Crawford reached on an infield single.
UNCG starter Jonathan Jones was credited with the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits in three innings.
Drew Gehringer went 2-4 at the plate for the Spartans (14-9), including an RBI single in the ninth inning to break up the shutout. Ray Crawford also went 1-3 with a walk and run scored.
The Wolfpack (15-11) were led by Andrew Ciencin who went 2-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Matt Bergquist also went 1-2 with an RBI and run scored, while John Gianis added a pair of RBI.
Ciencin and the Wolfpack got things started early when Chris Diaz and Pratt Maynard hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the first. Ciencin then came up and took a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to put NC State ahead 3-0.
The Wolfpack tacked on another run in the top of the third as Maynard led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. Maynard would come around to score later in the inning after a pair of groundouts.
Brett Williams led off the fourth inning for NC State with a double to left center and scored two batters later on a single by Bergquist to make it 5-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Wolfpack were able to blow the game open in the fifth inning as they put up four runs in the inning, thanks in part to a two-run single by Gianis to take a 9-0 lead.
The score would stay that way until the bottom of the ninth as UNCG put together a two-out rally. Crawford got things started by reaching on an error before Cody Walker singled to center field. Gehringer then came up and doubled to center to make the final score 9-1.
The Spartans will play cross-town rival North Carolina A&T on Wednesday at NewBridge Bank Park at 6 p.m.
AGATE
NC State 9, UNCG 1
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NC State............ 301 140 000 - 9 11 1 (15-11)
UNCG................ 000 000 001 - 1 6 1 (14-9)
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Pitchers: NC State - Ethan Ogburn; Josh Easley(7); Nick Rice(8); Rey Cotilla(9) and Chris Schaeffer. UNCG - Jonathan Jones; Pete Schultz(4); Dylan Hathcock(6); Zach Furl(8); Greg Smith(9) and Cambric Moye; Zach Leach.
Win-Ethan Ogburn(2-2) Loss-Jonathan Jones(0-1) T-2:57 A-589
HR NCS - Andrew Ciencin.
Weather: 58 and sunny
- UNCG -
