GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG senior Warren Slack threw a career-high 12 strikeouts and worked into the seventh inning to help lead the Spartans to a 5-1 win over The Citadel on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The win was the 10th for UNCG in its last 11 games.
Slack (6-1), making his final collegiate start at home, was phenomenal all night as he retired 15 of the first 17 batters he faced, including the first nine to start the game. He left the game with a 2-0 lead in the seventh as he pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on five hits. In addition to his 12 strikeouts, Slack yielded just two walks.
Colby Hyatt came in to pitch the final two innings and allowed just one hit to pick up his first save of the season. Matt Talley (3-7) was up for the challenge with Slack as he pitched 7 2/3 innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits, while striking out seven. He left the game in the bottom of the eighth with the Bulldogs trailing just 2-1.
Ray Quinones led the Spartans (29-18, 17-8 Southern Conference) at the plate as he went 2-4 with a pair of RBI. Trevor Edwards and Andrew Spleth both went 1-4 with an RBI and run scored each, as well.
Nick Orvin and Drew DeKerlegand each went 2-4 with the Bulldogs (20-30, 8-17 SoCon) as they were limited to just six hits as a team all night.
The Spartans weren't able to get on the board until the fifth inning as both Slack and Talley were working on perfect games going into the fourth inning. With one out in the fifth, Ray Crawford drew a walk and then moved to third when Thomas Troelstrup hit a ground-rule double to left center. Kris Richards followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to allow Crawford to score and put UNCG up 1-0.
UNCG would add another run in the sixth inning when Edwards hit a two-out opposite field home run to push the Spartan lead out to 2-0.
The Bulldogs would finally get on the board in the seventh inning to cut the Spartan lead in half. After Slack struck out his 12th batter to start the inning, Justin Mackert walked and DeKerlegand and Grant Richards each followed with singles to load the bases.
The Spartans then went to Jarett Miller out of the bullpen and his third pitch went to the backstop to allow Mackert to score and make it 2-1. He would then record a strikeout and pop fly to get out of the jam.
UNCG would add three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a comfortable four-run lead. With one out, Bobby Martin reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and moved to second on a single by Drew Gehringer. After a foul out, Talley was pulled from the game in favor of reliever Jeremy Long.
Spleth took the first pitch from Long right back up the middle to score Martin. Quinones followed with a double to left field on the next pitch to score Gehringer and Spleth to give the Spartans a 5-1 lead.
The Spartans and Bulldogs will meet for game two of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
AGATE
UNCG 5, The Citadel 1
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The Citadel......... 000 000 100 - 1 6 1 (20-30, 8-17)
UNCG................ 000 011 03X - 5 9 0 (29-18, 17-8)
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Pitchers: The Citadel - Matt Talley; Jeremy Long(8) and Grant Richards. UNCG - Warren Slack; Jarett Miller(7); Colby Hyatt(8) and Trevor Edwards.
Win-Warren Slack(6-1) Save-Colby Hyatt(1) Loss-Matt Talley(3-7) T-2:13 A-178
HR UNCG - Trevor Edwards.
Weather: 73 and overcast
- UNCG -
