BOX SCORE (PDF)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG baseball team took an early lead Thursday against No. 22 Georgia Southern but could not hold on as the Eagles captured an 8-4 Southern Conference victory at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Spartans fall to 12-13 overall and 1-6 in league play while GSU is now 18-7 and 9-1 – extending its winning streak to eight games.
Redshirt freshman infielder Nin Marrero was 2-for-4 at the dish to lead the Blue and Gold while a quartet of Spartans recorded RBI in the contest. Senior outfielder Zach Leach and sophomore outfielder Eric Kalbfleisch tallied a hit and scored a run as well.
The teams combined for 28 strikeouts in the contest as both starting pitchers were dealing early. Sophomore RHP Max Povse, who lost his first decision of the season (1-1), fanned a career-high nine batters in five complete innings. He allowed five runs, of which only two were earned. Georgia Southern racked up nine hits to UNCG's seven while the Spartans committed four costly errors.
The Eagles began the scoring in the top of the second when Tyler Avera grounded out with two outs and plated Robbie Dodds. Responding quickly, the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs as senior infielder Lloyd Enzor drew a leadoff walk before Kalbfleisch and junior catcher Cambric Moye laced singles up the middle and to left field. A single to right field by senior outfielder Zach Leach scored the first run and senior infielder TJ Spina followed with a sacrifice fly to left to give UNCG a 2-1 advantage after two complete.
The pitchers settled down through the fourth inning before Georgia Southern scored an opportunistic three runs in the fifth to move ahead 4-2. Chase Griffin hit a ball off Povse's right leg and it rolled into left field to allow Stryker Brown to score from second with one out. Ben Morgan was thrown out at third on the play and the Spartans looked to end the inning catching Griffin in a run down between second and third with two away. However, Marrero dropped the ball trying to nab the runner and Griffin was safe at third. Griffin then scored on a wild pitch before Dodds doubled to bring home T.D. Davis to complete the inning's scoring.
With two away in the sixth, a throwing error by senior RHP Dominique Vattuone allowed Brent Pugh to score from third as he had taken the base on a balk after drawing a leadoff walk and moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Avera.
UNCG pulled a run back in the seventh on a RBI single by senior outfielder Christian Wolfe, making the score 5-3, but the Eagles essentially put the game away in the eighth scoring two runs on three hits. Senior infielder Trevor Edwards drew the Blue and Gold to within 7-4 with a leadoff home run in the eighth – his team-leading seventh of the season and 33rd of his career. Another two-out run for the nationally-ranked Eagles in the ninth provided the final score.
The teams will play game two of their series Friday at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
- UNCG -
