Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. –Hunter Smith (Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville) went the full nine innings as UNCG defeated the Marist Red Foxes 16-3 at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. Smith hurled the first complete game for UNCG since April 17th, 2015. UNCG improves to 13-5 on the year, while Marist falls to 5-8. UNCG has won five of its last six games, with the one blemish against Coastal Carolina in the finale of the Coastal Carolina Invitational.
“Hunter (Smith) had a great performance.” Head Coach Link Jarrett said, “The way it started, with the three run homer early, they had a lot of early action, early swings. He and (Jake) Kusz managed the strike zone and really settled in. Hunter Smith, (Collin) Woody, L.J. (Kalawaia), and (Jake) Kusz, our captains kind of took charge today. Kusz was in the cage early working hard and it paid off. It was a good win, it was different. We went down early, and that was a unique feeling after their pitcher settled in and struck out the side in the third. We figured it out offensively and I think Hunter's training and hard work definitely showed tonight.”
The Spartan offense was led by Jake Kusz (Durham, N.C./Riverside) who finished the night 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles, a home run and a game-high six RBI. Collin Woody (Tampa, Fla./College of Central Florida) also had a big night going 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and an RBI.
Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence), L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College), Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale), Ryne Sigmon (Danville, Va./Danville CC), and Ben Spitznagel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) all had a pair of hits against Marist. Moritz drove in a career-high four RBI, with Kalawaia hitting his first career home run in the contest.
Smith posted a career-high nine strikeouts in the victory, going the full 9.0 innings. Smith surrendered five hits, with two coming in the first inning. Smith is now 2-0 on the season.
Marist took an early lead, using a three-run homer from Greg Kocinski to take a 3-0 lead after the top of the first frame.
The Spartans tied the game up in the bottom of the second frame. After a leadoff double from Woody, Sigmon drew a walk to put two on for Kusz. Kusz hit his third home run of the season to left, and tied the game up at three.
UNCG took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Dillon Stewart (Dunn, N.C./Brunswick CC) started the inning getting hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single up the middle from Sigmon. Moritz flew out center field but it was deep enough to score Stewart. Trejo delivered an insurance run, singling to right to bring in Sigmon and give the Spartans the 5-3 lead.
The Navy and Gold extended its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sigmon got the inning rolling, singling up the middle. Kusz followed with a single to move Sigmon to third. Moritz connected for another sacrifice fly to center to give UNCG a 6-3 lead. After a pitching change, Spitznagel reached on his sixth bunt base hit of the year to score Kusz from third.
The Spartans put the game away in the seventh and eighth innings. UNCG combined to score nine runs in the two innings, plating five in the seventh and four more in the eighth to bring the score to 16-3 in favor of the Spartans.
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