BOX SCORE (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Senior outfielder Christian Wolfe recorded all four of his RBI in the final two innings Saturday, lifting the UNCG baseball team to an 8-3 Southern Conference victory over Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The Spartans (20-27, 7-16 SoCon) picked up their 20th win of the season and snapped a six-game skid in league play. The Bulldogs fell to 25-22 overall and 10-12 in the SoCon.
Wolfe finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four driven in while junior catcher Cambric Moye and redshirt freshman infielder Nin Marrero tallied two hits each. Freshman RHP Ryan Clark picked up the victory, improving to 4-1 on the season. He threw two innings giving up one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
Senior infielder Trevor Edwards nearly gave UNCG a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Christiaan Durdaller reached over the left field wall and brought the potential home run ball back for the third out. Gilliam was able to escape trouble himself in the bottom of the frame, as with one away, he got Durdaller looking and Caleb Bryson to ground out to short with runners on second and third.
Senior infielder Lloyd Enzor put UNCG in front in the top of the second, leading off with a home run to straightaway center to make the score 1-0. The Spartans were subsequently able to get runners on first and second with no outs, but a groundout and two flyouts terminated the threat.
Samford rallied with two outs in the second, as an error and hit through the right side put runners on first and second. However, UNCG starter and sophomore RHP Lee Gilliam was able to pick off Richard Greene at second as the catcher was caught too far off the base.
The fourth inning saw the Bulldogs pick up their first run of the game as Patrick McGavin walked to lead off the bottom of the frame. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a flyout to center. Gilliam reached two strikes on Austin Allison, but he uncorked another wild pitch which allowed McGavin to score from third. The home side took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth as Christiaan Durdaller smashed a two-out solo home run to left center to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage.
The pitchers settled in for the next two innings, keeping each team off the board. Redshirt freshman Nin Marrero led off the eighth with a single to shallow right field, bringing up Wolfe who crushed a ball well over the right field fence to give UNCG the lead back at 3-2. The Spartans could not hold the advantage though, as Samford led off the inning with a double and a single to put runners on the corners. Clark got Bryson to strike out swinging, but McGavin flied out deep to center to bring home Irby from third to tie the contest. The UNCG rookie hurler was able to escape further damage, fanning Tommy Corbin swinging for the final out.
For the second time this weekend, the offense put up a big inning late as the Spartans loaded the bases to begin the ninth via a walk and two consecutive singles with one out. Wolfe continued his big day, driving a 2-2 pitch through the right side to score junior infielder Cole Harrison and sophomore outfielder Zac MacAneney for a 5-3 UNCG lead. Edwards piled on two more runs as his single through the right side plated Wolfe and Marrero – making it 7-3. Enzor followed with a RBI groundout to increase the advantage to 8-3 before Edwards was thrown out at home on a single by Kalbfleisch to end the half inning. Clark sent the Bulldogs down quietly in the ninth to seal the win.
The teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. (CT).
- UNCG -
