GREENSBORO, N.C. – A two-run home run by senior outfielder Eric Kalbfleisch highlighted a four-run second inning as the Spartans rolled to a 7-3 midweek victory over NC State Tuesday evening inside the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The contest was played before a huge crowd of 977 – a season-high attendance number for the Blue and Gold this season.

The win marked the sixth against an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference in head coach Link Jarrett's two-plus season tenure in Greensboro. He also improved to 2-1 against NCSU with the other victory an extra-inning 8-5 triumph in Raleigh back in March of 2013.

UNCG (7-10) improved to 5-1 at home this season and is hitting .345 with a slugging mark of .624 in those games. The Spartans also out-hit the Wolfpack 11-7, racking up double-digit hits for the sixth time in the last nine outings.

Kalbfleisch had a very solid day at the dish, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Junior infielder Collin Woody and senior outfielder Tyler Long chipped in with two hits apiece while Long also scored two runs. Logan Ratledge and Preston Palmeiro led the Wolfpack (10-8) with respective 2-for-4 and 2-for-5 performances.

Freshman RHP Andrew Wantz threw four strong innings and was credited with the victory – improving his record to 3-0. He allowed just one run on four hits with four walks and the first two strikeouts of his collegiate career. Ryan Williamson took the loss for NC State and fell to 0-1 after tossing two innings and giving up five runs  (all earned) on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

With one away in the top of the first, Ratledge tripled then scored on a RBI single by Palmeiro. Wantz recovered by picking off Palmeiro at first before fanning Jake Armstrong to end the half inning. The Spartans tied it up quickly in the bottom of the frame when, after consecutive singles by Woody and senior infielder Hunter King, senior infielder Aaron Wright grounded out to second base to plate King.

Wantz stranded a NC State runner at third in the top of the second, opening the door for the Blue and Gold to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Long singled on a bunt back to the pitcher and came home on a RBI triple by freshman outfielder (playing as the DH) Devin Ruiz to make the score 2-1. Kalbfleisch then stepped up and belted a two-run home run over the scoreboard in right center field to extend the advantage to 4-1. UNCG looked for more and received it in the form of a Woody RBI double that scored senior outfielder Nick Chapman who had drawn a walk earlier in the inning. When the dust settled, the Spartans had scored four runs on four hits to assume a 5-1 lead after two complete.

Both pitching staffs settled in from there and started to put up scoreless innings. NC State put leadoff men on base in the third through fifth frames but some nice work by Wantz and the defense behind him kept the Wolfpack at bay and off the scoreboard. Senior LHP Blair Betts came on in the fifth inning and worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam with two strikeouts as NC State once again came up empty in the scoring column.

The Wolfpack defense turned two double plays, one in the fourth and one in the fifth, to keep UNCG within shouting distance but the Spartans twirled a twin killing of its own in the seventh to protect the lead. The Blue and Gold finally dented the scoreboard again in the bottom of the eighth, plating two runs on two hits and a costly NCSU error to extend its cushion to six runs at 7-1. Long manufactured a run by singling to right center, stealing second and coming home on a Kalbfleisch RBI single. Kalbfleisch accounted for the second run by scoring on a RBI groundout by King.

Palmeiro provided the final four-run margin with a two-run home run before senior RHP Tyler Frazier shut the door with a strikeout, groundout and flyout.

UNCG and NC State will close the midweek home-and-home series with a 6 p.m. contest Wednesday evening at Doak Field in Raleigh.

Follow the UNCG baseball team all season by logging on to www.uncgspartans.com and following the Spartans' official Twitter accounts @uncgbaseball/@uncgsports.