BOX SCORE (PDF)
DURHAM, N.C. – The UNCG baseball team took a 2-0 lead after two innings Tuesday evening against Duke, but the Blue Devils netted 17 unanswered runs in the third through fifth frames to cruise to a 17-2 victory at Jack Coombs Field.
The Spartans saw senior outfielder Christian Wolfe extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the first inning while classmate and infielder Trevor Edwards recorded a hit and a run scored to reach base safely for the 17th-straight contest.
Junior LHP Dylan Hathcock took the loss and fell to 2-3 on the season, giving up six runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two.
The Spartans touched up starter Michael Matuella for two runs on three hits in the top of the first as Moye delivered a one-out RBI single and Edwards scored on a wild pitch. UNCG sent seven men to the plate in the half inning.
Hathcock worked into some trouble in the bottom of the third as he walked the bases loaded with two outs. Chris Marconcini came through with a triple to the wall before Mark Lumpa followed with a double to score Marconcini from third and make the score 4-2. With runners on second and third, senior RHP Dominique Vattuone replaced Hathcock on the bump, but Duke plated two more runs on a single to center by Ryan Munger.
The Blue Devils continued to pour it on in the fourth, scoring four more runs to extend their lead to 10-2. The big blow was a two-run home run to deep right field by Marconcini.
More two-out trouble occurred in the fifth as Duke was able to load the bases again with two away. Sophomore RHP Adam Boghosian and classmate RHP Brennen James could not record the final out as the Blue Devils pushed across seven more runs before the inning came to a close.
The Spartans attempted to put some runs on the board in the seventh, but after Duke relief pitcher Remy Janco walked the bases loaded with two outs, redshirt sophomore infielder Ray Crawford struck out swinging to terminate the threat. UNCG also failed to push a run across in the eighth, despite getting freshman catcher Jake Hall to third after he doubled with one out in the inning.
Despite keeping Duke scoreless for the final three innings, the Spartans could not muster up any runs themselves.
The Blue and Gold returns to Southern Conference play this weekend, hosting Appalachian State for a weekend series. The Spartans and Mountaineers will begin the set Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. inside the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
- UNCG -
