GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG took advantage of a Georgia Southern error in the bottom of the third to score two runners and the Spartan pitching staff made the lead hold up as the Spartans defeated the first-place Eagles, 3-2, on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The win extends UNCG's winning streak to four games.
Warren Slack (5-1) picked up the win after allowing only two runs, one earned, on five hits, while striking out five, in 6 1/3 innings of work. Jarett Miller came in to pitch a hitless final 2 2/3 innings with one strikeout.
Chris Beck (6-2) pitched a complete game in the losing effort as he allowed just three runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out nine batters.
Drew Gehringer had half of the hits for UNCG (23-17, 12-7 Southern Conference) as he went 2-4 with an RBI and run scored, while Ray Crawford also went 1-3 with the only other RBI.
The Eagles (25-17, 13-6 SoCon) were led by Michael Burruss who went 2-4 with a run scored, while Eric Phillips and Ben Morgan each added an RBI.
Georgia Southern jumped on the Spartans early as Burruss hit a one-out triple in the top of the first inning. Phillips followed with an infield single to the left side of the infield that allowed Burruss to score from third and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles' lead wouldn't last long, though, as UNCG answered with a run of its own in the home half of the first. John Hein led off with a walk, his first of three walks on the night. After a fly out to left field, Gehringer delivered a double to the right field wall and Hein was able to score from first to tie the game at one.
UNCG was able to take advantage of a defensive miscue by Georgia Southern in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead. With one out, Gehringer delivered a double into the right-center gap. After a line out to third, Eric Brindle hit a chopper that the first baseman misplayed.
Gehringer, who was running on the play, was able to round third and score from second to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead. Brindle then moved over to second on a balk and scored when Crawford hit a ball off the end of his bat through the right side of the infield to score Gehringer and make it a two-run lead.
The score would stay that way until the top of the fifth when the Eagles tried to get something going. Steve Cochrane led off by reaching on an error and Tom Richardson followed with a walk. Scooter Williams followed with a fielder's choice when third baseman Kris Richards made a diving stop at third, one of many on the evening, to get Richardson at second.
With runners on the corners, Morgan hit a fly ball to deep left field that allowed Cochrane to tag up and score from third to make it 3-2. Slack and the Spartans were able to get out of the inning as he struck out the final batter looking on a 3-2 pitch.
Miller would come into the game in the top of the seventh with runners on first and second, but got Shawn Payne to line into a double play to the Spartan second baseman to get out of the jam. He would retire all seven batters he face in the game.
The Spartans and Eagles will battle it out in game two of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
AGATE
UNCG 3, Georgia Southern 2
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Georgia Southern.... 100 010 000 - 2 5 1 (25-17, 13-6)
UNCG................ 102 000 00X - 3 4 1 (23-17, 12-7)
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Pitchers: Georgia Southern - Chris Beck and Tom Richardson. UNCG - Warren Slack; Jarett Miller(7) and Trevor Edwards.
Win-Warren Slack(5-1) Save-Jarett Miller(1) Loss-Chris Beck(6-2) T-2:07 A-330
Weather: 72 and mostly sunny, Wind W13
- UNCG -
