GREENSBORO, N.C. – Samford's Charles Basford was perfect for nearly five innings and didn't allow a run until the eighth inning as UNCG fell to the Bulldogs, 8-2, on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Basford was nearly untouchable as he went eight innings and allowed just two runs on five hits, while striking out three. He had a perfect game going until TJ Spina doubled just inside the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. That was the only hit UNCG would have through the first 7 1/3 innings of play.
Samford (10-5, 1-1 Southern Conference) used three runs in the top of the third inning to take give the entire cushion Basford would need. With one out, Austin Allison, Zeth Stone and Brad Moss hit back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases.
A groundout gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead and Brandon Miller followed with a single to center field to score Stone and Moss to give the visitors the 3-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs would add three more insurance runs in the top of the eighth to stretch their lead out to 6-0. Stone led off with a single up the middle and then Saxon Butler walked two batters later before Miller doubled to left center to clear the bases and make it 5-0. Samford would tack on another run later in the inning on a single by C.K. Irby.
The Spartans finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth when Spina hit another double, this time to left center. He moved over to third on a single by Cambric Moye before scoring on a single by Kris Richards to make it 6-1. After a UNCG strikeout, Zach Leach singled just over the head of the shortstop to score Moye and make it a 6-2 contest.
Samford added two more runs on a two-run double in the top of the ninth by Moss to make the final score 8-2.
The Spartans and Bulldogs will play the rubber game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
AGATE
Samford 8, UNCG 2
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Samford............. 003 000 032 - 8 11 0 (10-5, 1-1)
UNCG................ 000 000 020 - 2 6 1 (10-4, 1-1)
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Pitchers: Samford - Charles Basford; Lex Rutledge(9) and Brad Moss. UNCG - Corey Taylor; Lee Gilliam(7); Jonathan Jones(8); Wes McBride(8); Adam Boghosian(8); Tyler Frazier(9); Eric Kalbfleisch(9) and Cambric Moye.
Win-Charles Basford(3-0) Loss-Corey Taylor(2-1) T-2:24 A-261
Weather: 52 and sunny
Jones faced 1 batter in the 8th.
- UNCG -
