Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG Baseball team defeated the Army Black Knights 10-6 on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Spartans improve to 8-2 on the season, while Army falls to 2-7. UNCG has won seven of its last eight games, scoring 10 or more runs in five of the eight victories.
“It was a little bit of a grind for us today.” Head Coach Link Jarrett said, “We finally did enough late to put some runs on the board. Army really got back into it early today with that first inning home run. (Matt) Ball really pitched well for them this afternoon. (Bryce) Hensley did a good job getting us deep in the game. Then to have (Andrew) Wantz and (Chad) Sykes to come in there at the end was big. Tripp (Shelton) made some nice plays defensively when we needed it. He ended a couple innings on some really good defensive plays. Overall, a good solid win. That team (Army) battles, and is very scrappy. Their pitchers made some good adjustments on our hitters and they played really well. Tomorrow will be another good test for us.”
UNCG connected for 15 hits in the contest, their ninth game this season where they have produced 10 or more hits during the course of a game. Tripp Shelton (Winston-Salem. West Forsyth) led the way with three hits, including a triple and his seventh double of the year. Shelton currently leads the Spartans in extra-base hits.
L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College), Collin Woody (Tampa, Fla./College of Central Florida), Dillon Stewart (Dunn, N.C./Brunswick CC), Jake Kusz (Durham, N.C./Riverside) and Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) each connected for a pair of hits. Stewart had a double, with Kusz adding his first home run of the season in the seventh inning.
Bryce Hensley (Asheville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) (3-0) started and picked up his third victory. Hensley again logged 6.0 innings, allowing three runs; one earned, walked two and struck out three. It is the third-straight quality start (6.0 IP, less than three runs allowed) for the sophomore lefty. Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs) and Chad Sykes (Creedmoor, N.C./Voyager Academy) finished up the last three innings, combining for four hits, and three earned runs.
The Black Knights drew first blood, taking a 1-0 lead on a John McCarthy solo home run.
UNCG answered back in the bottom of the second inning on a pair of extra-base hits. Stewart doubled off the wall in center field and was driven home on a triple to center from Moritz.
Army regained the lead the following half inning. Benefitting from a UNCG error and a hit batter, Army used a sacrifice bunt, a ground out and a single to bring in the two unearned runs and take a 3-1 lead.
The Spartans cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth frame. Sigmon and Stewart started the inning off with back-to-back doubles to bring in a run. UNCG had runners on second and third with one out but were unable to plate any more in the inning.
UNCG took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. A leadoff double from Shelton and a pair of walks to Stewart and Sigmon loaded the bases for Kusz who muscled a single to the outfield grass to bring in a pair and give UNCG a 4-3 lead.
The Navy and Gold added a pair of run in the sixth inning as well. With Spitznagel and Kalawaia in scoring position, Woody legged out an infield hit to shortstop. Kalawaia hustled around to score from second on the play. Kusz added to the Spartan lead the following inning, hitting his first home run of the season to left center.
The Black Knights added a run in the eighth and two in the ninth, but a three-run eighth inning kept the Black Knights at bay.
UNCG and Army return to the field on Sunday, at 12:00 p.m. for the series finale at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Spartans are looking for their second-straight series sweep over an opponent.
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