GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG took advantage of some good fortune to score six runs in the sixth inning to take a commanding 12-3 lead en route to a 13-9 victory over backyard-rival Elon on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The win tied the weekend series at one and forced a rubber game on Sunday.
Jarett Miller recorded his third win of the season for UNCG (15-10, 7-4 Southern Conference) after pitching two innings of relief and allowing just one run on one hit, while striking out five.
Elon starter Ken Ferrer moved to 3-2 on the year after giving up six runs, three earned, on five hits in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Ray Quinones helped pace the Spartans offense as he went 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scores, while Chris Barker also added a trio of RBI. Thomas Troelstrup and Trevor Edwards both went 1-3 with two RBI and two runs score apiece, as well.
Eric Serra went 2-2 with three RBI and a run scored off the bench for the Phoenix (18-10, 9-2 SoCon) and Garrett Koster also had a pair of RBI.
UNCG got the scoring started in the second inning as it jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, Ray Crawford delivered a single to the opposite field to score Eric Brindle to make it 1-0. After a strikeout, Barker singled through the right side of the infield to plate two more runs.
The Phoenix came right back in the top of the third to make it 3-1 when Niko Fraser singled up the middle to score Harry Austin from third.
Elon was then able to tie the game at three in the top of the third as Sebastian Gomez drew a walk and Koster followed with a home run to right field.
The Spartans would retake the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs. With one out and a runner on first, Edwards took the first pitch he saw and put it off the scoreboard in right field for his fourth home run of the season to make it 5-3. Two batters later, Zach Leach singled to left field and scored on a double by Troelstrup that stayed just fair down the left field line.
Leading 6-3, UNCG blew the game open in the sixth inning with six runs after is appeared it would be a simple 1-2-3 inning. With two outs, Bobby Martin hit a high fly ball to center field and it seemed as if the center fielder was under it, but the ball fell harmlessly next to him to allow Martin to reach third. After a walk to Edwards, Brindle singled on a pop up to shallow center field that fell between two Phoenix players.
A walk to Cambric Moye loaded the bases and Troelstrup followed with a walk of his own to score Edwards. Quinones then hit a triple to the wall in center field to clear the bases and make it 11-3. After Crawford was hit by a pitch and Drew Gehringer walked to load the bases again, Barker drew a six-pitch walk to score one final run in the inning.
Elon would go on to score a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly and had a pair of RBI singles in the eighth to cut the Spartan lead down to 12-6.
UNCG got a run back in the home half of the eighth on a double by Gehringer before the Phoenix scored three runs in the top of the ninth to make it 13-9.
The Spartans and Phoenix will meet in the rubber game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
AGATE
UNCG 13, Elon 9
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Elon................ 001 200 123 - 9 11 3 (18-10, 9-2)
UNCG................ 030 036 01X - 13 9 1 (15-10, 7-4)
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Pitchers: Elon - Ken Ferrer; Thomas Girdwood(5); Grant McCoury(6); Grant Fisher(8) and Alex Swim. UNCG - Brandon Browne; Jarett Miller(5); Zach Furl(7); Pete Schultz(8); Tyler Hollstegge(9) and Zach Leach; Cambric Moye.
Win-Jarett Miller(3-1) Loss-Ken Ferrer(3-2) T-3:12 A-421
HR ELON - Garrett Koster.
HR UNCG - Trevor Edwards.
Weather: 57, partly cloudy, wind 22 mph
Miller faced 3 batters in the 7th.
- UNCG -
