JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – In the first meeting between UNCG and ETSU on the baseball diamond in 10 years, it was the Spartans who built an early lead on the way to an 8-6 victory over the Bucs in the teams' series opener Saturday at Thomas Stadium. UNCG improves to 11-12 overall and 3-1 in Southern Conference play while ETSU drops to 11-13 and 0-4.

The Blue and Gold pounded out a season-high 16 hits of which seven went for extra bases including three home runs. The three long balls upped the Spartans' count to 23, matching last season's total.

Senior outfielder Tyler Long turned in a career performance with four hits in five at bats. He also scored two runs. In fact, the top six batters in the UNCG lineup recorded at least two base knocks. Sophomore catcher Jake Kusz ended up with a personal-best three RBI while senior outfielder Eric Kalbfleisch drove in a pair of runs as well.

Junior RHP Ryan Clark outdueled ETSU ace Jimmy Nesselt, tossing seven innings to earn his fifth win of the season. He allowed four runs on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Clark kept the Bucs at bay for the first six innings, keeping them scoreless until the seventh. Nesselt fell to 3-2 with the loss as he surrendered six runs on 13 hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He had walked just six batters all season entering the game.

With a pair of hits in the contest, senior outfielder Zac MacAneney stretched his hitting streak to 13 contests.

MacAneney led off the game with a single and moved to second base on a passed ball with two outs. After senior infielder Aaron Wright drew a walk, Kusz stepped up and laced a ball to the right center gap that scored both MacAneney and Wright and gave the Spartans a 2-0 advantage. Long then dropped down a bunt single and stole second to bring up freshman Devin Ruiz. He put the ball in play but grounded out on a bang-bang play at first to end the half inning.

With one out in the bottom of the first, Chris Cook singled to move the lineup card to the league's top hitter in terms of batting average – Trey York. He would ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

UNCG kept the pressure on in the top of the third as senior infielder Hunter King laced a leadoff home run over the wall in right center to make it a 3-0 Spartan advantage. After Wright singled with one out, Long dropped down his second bunt single of the day and Ruiz walked to load the bases. Kalbfleisch would deliver with a two-out, two-run single just past the diving glove of Jordan Sanford at short to extend the UNCG lead to 5-0.

The Spartans threatened again in the top of the fourth as Wright roped a two-out double to right field to put UNCG runners at second and third, but Kusz popped up to shallow center for the third out. In the top of the fifth with two outs and no one on base, Kalbfleisch drew a walk, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch but would be stranded there as a flyout to deep right kept the Spartans off of the scoreboard.

The Blue and Gold broke through again in the top of the seventh as Long smoked a one-out triple into the gap in right center – his first three-bagger of the campaign. It would be a short stay at third as Ruiz followed with a double to right field that gave UNCG a 6-0 cushion.

ETSU mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs on four hits to pull within two runs. MacAneney restored order a little bit, however, leading off the top of the eighth with a moon shot home run over the right field wall to push the Spartans' lead back to three runs at 7-4.

With a light snow falling in the top of the ninth, Kusz led off with UNCG's third home run of the game as the Spartans pulled ahead by four runs. Junior LHP Bryant Stafford would finish the job in the bottom of the frame, allowing a two-run home run to York but inducing a ground ball back to mound from the bat of Kevin Phillips for the final out.

The Spartans and Bucs will continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m.

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