The Spartans led for all 18 innings of Friday's action, scoring in the top of the first of both games.  UNCG improves to 10-4 with the wins, while the Illinois Fighting Illini fall to 6-4, and Coastal Carolina is now 7-7. 

“I'm really proud of our guys tonight.” Head Coach Link Jarrett said, “I'm as proud of this team today as any team I've coached. To come out here at 9:30 this morning and leave at 7:30 at night with a pair of  quality wins is great.  Chad Sykes made huge pitches when we needed him. We chewed through our bullpen a little bit in that first game, but it worked out.  For him to work out of that jam in the eighth against Coastal was phenomenal. Offensively, we were opportunistic in both games and that proved to be the difference.”

In the first game with Illinois, UNCG racked up 21 hits, and 19 RBI en route to a 20-9 victory.  The 20 runs are the most scored by the UNCG offense since April 7^th, 2006, a 20-10 victory over Appalachian State. 

Ryne Sigmon (Danville, N.C./Danville CC) led the way in the first game with Illinois.  Sigmon finished 3-for-6 with a pair of singles and a grand slam in the sixth inning.  Dillon Stewart (Dunn, N.C./Brunswick CC) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. 

Collin Woody (Tampa, Fla./College of Central Florida) added three RBI, and hit his second home run of the season in the top of the first inning.  L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College) and Tripp Shelton (Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth) each connected for two hits and a pair of RBI. 

Devin Ruiz (Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI) made the most of his pinch-hit opportunity, belting a two-RBI double. Michael Goss (Cartersville, Ga./Chattanooga St. CC) and Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) were a force at the bottom of the lineup, combining for six hits, six runs, with Moritz adding three RBI. 

Jake Lewis (Wendell, N.C./Corinth Holders) started the game and went 3.0 innings, allowing one hit and two runs with three strikeouts.  Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs) (2-0) picked up the win, going 4.0 innings, allowing only one hit, one run and struck out seven hitters.  Jake Mayhew (Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth) and Ben Kerner (Cary, N.C./Brunswick CC) finished the last two innings, striking out one hitter in the process.

In the nightcap with Coastal Carolina, the Spartans continued to hit, connecting for 13 in the game.  Woody and Moritz led the way, each picking up two RBI.  Ben Spitznagel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) rebounded well after going hitless in the first game.  Spitznagel went 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and reached base in all five plate appearances. 

Jake Kusz (Durham, N.C./Riverside) and Shelton had a pair of hits with Kusz scoring a run.  Goss added a run scored in the 4-2 win.

Hunter Smith (Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville) (2-0) was dialed in all night and earned the win.  The junior right-hander went 7+ innings, allowing four hits, two runs, one earned and struck out six hitters.  Chad Sykes (Creedmoor, N.C./Voyager Academy) (2) earned the save.  Sykes came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth and allowed only one inherited runner to score.  All together, Sykes went 2.0 innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.

Against the Illini, UNCG struck first.  Shelton singled and scored on Woody's second home run of the season.

Illinois cut the lead in half in the second.  With one out, a walk and two hit-by-pitches loaded the bases before another walk brought in the run.

The Spartans added another pair of runs in the top of the third inning.  Shelton led off the inning with a single and Kalawaia used a check-swing single to put runners on.  After a double steal, Stewart's sacrifice fly to center brought Shelton in.  Sigmon singled through the right side to bring home Kalawaia and give UNCG a 4-1 lead.

Illinois again cut the lead in half in the third inning.  Doran Turchin hit a solo home run to cut the lead to 4-2 Spartans.

UNCG scored another pair in the fourth inning.  Singles from Goss and Moritz started the inning and Spitznagel moved the runners over on a sacrifice bunt.  Shelton executed a squeeze bunt to bring in both, Moritz and Goss on the play and give UNCG a 6-2 lead.

In the fifth inning, the Fighting Illini again cut the lead in half.  Anthony Drago hit a solo home run to cut the lead to 6-3 Spartans. 

The Navy and Gold put the game away in the top of the sixth inning, scoring seven unearned runs.  After a lead off double, a dropped third strike put Goss on and a pair of errors later scored a UNCG run and loaded the bases.  Kalawaia singled to bring in a run and a walk loaded the bases for Sigmon.  Sigmon belted a grand slam to right field and put the Spartans up 13-3.

 UNCG added six more runs in the top of the seventh inning, aided by five hits.  Illinois grabbed five runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by a three-run home run from Turchin. 

Spartan bats stayed hot to start the second game with Coastal Carolina.  In the first inning, UNCG used three hits to bring in the first run and go up 1-0. 

UNCG tacked on another run in the top of the third inning.  Back-to-back singles from Spitznagel and Shelton put a runner in scoring position for Woody who singled back through the middle to bring in Spitznagel. Shelton was thrown out at third, but after the run had crossed the plate.

The Navy and Gold continued scoring in fourth inning, plating two more runs.  Back-to-back two out singles from Kusz and Goss put runners on, with an error moving them to scoring position.  Moritz connected for another single and brought in both to put UNCG up 4-0.

Coastal Carolina got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning.  A lead off walk to Billy Cooke and then a single from Seth Lancaster put runners on.  A sacrifice bunt moved them into scoring position.  Anthony Marks ground out to short to bring in the first Chanticleer run of the game and cut the Spartan lead to 4-1.

The Chanticleers added some late-inning drama, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a UNCG error.  CCU was only able to bring in one run on a sacrifice fly as Sykes came in with the bases loaded and struck out two to preserve the UNCG lead headed to the ninth. 

In the ninth, Sykes used a strike out and a pair of fly outs to end the game and get the victory. 

UNCG returns to action on Saturday, Mar. 12^th as they will face Illinois at 12:00 p.m. as part of the Coastal Carolina Invitational. 

-UNCG-