GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG used a four-run fourth inning to gain some separation and never looked back as the Spartans defeated visiting Penn State 8-3 on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The win improved the Spartans' record to 6-0 overall for the first time since the 2005 also began the year 6-0.
UNCG (6-0) grabbed the early lead when Thomas Troelstrup hit an RBI double off the right field wall in the bottom of the first to put the Spartans ahead, 1-0.
The Spartans were able to ride that 1-0 lead for a few innings as starter Corey Taylor was able to keep the Nittany Lions at bay. Taylor went 5 1/3 innings for UNCG and struck out a game-high nine batters, while only giving up two hits and one unearned run.
Penn State (1-4) helped the Spartans out in the fourth inning as UNCG extended its lead to 5-0. After a leadoff walk, TJ Spina laid day a sacrifice bunt and back-to-back walks to Nick Chapman and Cambric Moye loaded the bases.
Kris Richards scored two of those runners when his double went to the left field wall to make it 3-0. Bobby Martin followed by taking the first pitch he saw up the middle to plate two more runs.
After a sacrifice fly made it 6-0 in the fifth inning, Penn State was finally able to get on the board in the top of the sixth inning. After a leadoff walk, Taylor got Sean Deegan to strike out. The next Nittany Lion grounded to the pitcher, but a throwing error allowed the leadoff runner to reach second. Luis Montesinos then singled to center field to make the score 6-1.
The Spartans were able to come back and manufacture a run in the sixth as Moye walked to start the inning. He then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a bloop single to left center by Christian Wolfe to push the Spartan lead out to 7-1.
Penn State scored another run in the top of the seventh to make it a five-run game again, but once again UNCG had an answer. Spina hit a one-out single to the hole on the left side of the infield and two batters later Moye double to right center to score Spina and make it 8-2.
Deegan hit an RBI double for the Nittany Lions in the ninth inning, but that was all the offense they could muster as UNCG won by the final of 8-3.
UNCG will look to sweep the series on Sunday as the two sides meet for the final time at 1 p.m.
AGATE
UNCG 8, Penn State 3
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Penn State.......... 000 001 101 - 3 9 0 (1-4)
UNCG................ 100 411 10X - 8 11 2 (6-0)
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Pitchers: Penn State - Walter, John; Kulina, Casey(5); Dunn, Tim(6); Franklin, Mike(7) and Farkes, Alex. UNCG - Corey Taylor; Zach Furl(6); Lee Gilliam(7); Dylan Hathcock(7); Dominique Vattuone(9) and Cambric Moye.
Win-Corey Taylor(1-0) Loss-Walter, John(0-2) T-2:46 A-312
Weather: 49 and sunny, wind W26 mph
- UNCG -
