BOX SCORE (PDF)

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG baseball team hit three home runs Saturday and junior left-handed pitcher Dylan Hathcock (Tampa, Fla./Gaither) improved to 2-0 with a solid performance on the mound as the Spartans picked up an 8-2 victory at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. With the victory, the Spartans move to 4-0 for the second-straight year while the Flyers remain winless at 0-3-1. 

"I was pleased that we got on the board early today," head coach Link Jarrett said. "Our pitchers did a great job protecting the lead and our offense supported them with some great at bats." 

Hathcock entered in the top of the fifth with two outs as he threw 4.1 innings, scattering four hits and striking out seven. His only blemish occurred in the top of the ninth as Mel Skochdapole led the frame off with a home run to left. Hathcock now sports a miniscule 1.04 ERA with 12 strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander Max Povse (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) started his second game of the season, falling just a third of an inning short of qualifying for his first win of 2013. He pitched 4.2 frames, scattered four hits and struck out three while allowing one unearned run. 

Junior catcher Cambric Moye had a career day at the dish, going 4-for-4 and smacking his fourth career home run. The Blue and Gold also received a pair of base knocks from senior outfielder Christian Wolfe (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll), senior infielder TJ Spina (Newberry, Fla./Santa Fe) and redshirt freshman infielder Nin Marrero (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford). Wolfe clubbed his second career home run while Marrero recorded his first-ever round-tripper. 

UNCG pounded out 12 hits in the contest, marking the third time in four games the Spartans have recorded double-digit base knocks. Additionally, UNCG posted seven hits that went for extra bases. 

After Dayton went quietly in the top of the first, Wolfe cranked a pitch over the left field fence to put the Spartans ahead 1-0. The score remained that way until the bottom of the third when, with two outs, Spina doubled down the left field line. That brought up senior infielder Trevor Edwards (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Taddle Creek Academy) and he ripped a single to left to score Spina and increase UNCG's advantage to 2-0. It was the sixth RBI for Edwards in the last two games. 

The Flyers pulled a run back in the fourth when Spencer Rohr poked an RBI single through the left side, plating Mark Podlas. Dayton loaded the bases with two outs in the inning, but Povse fanned Austin Hall looking to terminate the threat and limit further damage. 

The Spartans capitalized on a Moye single to open the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore outfielder Zac MacAneney (Gibsonville, N.C./Western Alamance) reached on a fielder's choice and replaced Moye on the base paths before stealing second base. Marrero then hit a ball to left that bounced on top of the wall and fell behind the fence, pushing UNCG's lead to 4-1. 

Following a scoreless fifth inning, the Blue and Gold broke the game open in the sixth, scoring three runs to put it out of the Flyers' reach. Moye led off the frame with a home run to left before MacAneney and Marrero walked back-to-back. Freshman outfielder Julian Abreu (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) moved the runners over with a sac bunt which led to a RBI groundout by Wolfe which made the score 6-1. Marrero then crossed home plate thanks to a passed ball as the Spartans moved in front by six runs. Spina tripled to center field in his at bat before Edwards grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Marrero led off the bottom of the eighth with a double before he was plated by junior infielder Shawn Hendon (Bethesda, Md./Montgomery College) who was pinch hitting for Abreu. Hendon's first career RBI in a UNCG uniform increased the Spartans' cushion to 8-1 heading into the top of the ninth. 

After Skochdolpole's leadoff home run, Hathcock settled in and retired three of the last four Dayton batters to seal the win. His seventh strikeout of the day ended the contest as he fanned pinch hitter Ralph Alloco swinging. 

The teams will close the series Sunday with a doubleheader. The teams will play the opening game at noon while the second contest is slated to start approximately 30 minutes after the first. 

- UNCG -