Box Score GREENVILLE, S.C. – Dillon Stewart (Dunn, N.C./Brunswick CC) drove in five runs in a 15-10 loss to the Furman Paladins on Friday evening in the Southern Conference Tournament at Fluor Field. With the loss, UNCG was eliminated from the SoCon tournament, and concludes the season with a 38-21 record. The 38 wins in a season are the most under Head Coach Link Jarrett, and the most for UNCG since the 2003 campaign.
Stewart led UNCG at the plate, finishing 2-for-5, hitting his team-best 14th home run, drove in five and scored a run. Collin Woody (Tampa, Fla./College of Central Florida) finished with a pair of doubles, two RBI, and scored twice.
Michael Goss (Cartersville, Ga./Chattanooga St. CC) finished 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and scored a run. Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) added a pair of hits and scored a run. Tripp Shelton (Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth) and Ben Spitznagel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) each had one hit, and scored a run. Spitznagel added an RBI.
L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College) and Jake Kusz (Durham, N.C./Riverside) scored twice, and once respectively.
UNCG used six pitchers in the contest, with Keaton Haack (Greensboro, N.C./Pitt CC) starting. Haack worked the first inning and into the second where he allowed three hits and struck out one batter. Ben Kerner (Cary, N.C./Brunswick CC) was the first Spartan out of the bullpen. Kerner went 1.2 innings, struck out three batters and didn't allow and earned run.
Hunter Smith (Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville) made his first relief appearance of the season, and worked in one inning. Smith surrendered three hits and struck out one batter. Bryce Hensley (Asheville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) worked 1.1 innings, struck out three batters and allowed just one hit.
Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs) worked one inning and struck out a batter. Woody gave up only two hits and struck out two while shutting out Furman for the final three innings.
The SoCon's Freshman of the Year got the contest started with a bang, hitting a solo home run to right to put Furman up 1-0 in the first inning.
UNCG had a two-out rally to take the lead at 3-1 after the first inning. Kalawaia reached via walk and Woody reached on a fielding error. Stewart hit his 14th home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field to give the Spartans their first lead of the day.
Deon Sanders and Griffin Davis tied the game up in the top of the second inning, hitting back-to-back solo home runs.
The Paladins took a 6-3 lead in the top of the third inning, scoring three unearned runs. With the bases loaded and two outs, Andrew MacLatchie chopped a pitch back to Kerner who threw to first where the ball was mishandled, scoring two runs. Matt Towarnicky then dropped a single to right to score another and give Furman the 6-3 lead.
Furman added to its lead in the top of the fourth, scoring three more runs. With two on and two outs, Griffin Davis singled to score two before a UNCG fielding error allowed another run to score and push the lead to 9-4 Paladins.
The Spartans answered back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Goss hit his fourth home run, a 367' solo shot to left to start the rally. Spitznagel and Kalawaia walked for Woody who doubled off of the monster in left field to score Spitznagel. After a pitching change, Stewart executed a great piece of two-strike hitting, throwing his hands at an outside fastball and shooting it through the right side to score two more and cut the lead to 9-8.
UNCG regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth frame, scoring a pair of runs. Shelton led off with a single and moved to third by virtue of a wild pitch and a balk. After Kusz drew a walk, Goss hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Shelton, Kusz moved to second on the play at home. Spitznagel followed with a single back up the middle to score Kusz and give UNCG a 10-9 advantage.
Furman rallied back and took a 15-10 lead, scoring six in the top of the sixth inning. Two walks started the frame before three straight singles scored three runs. Another walk put runners on first and second before a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Jordan Simpson singled to score one before Sanders hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the sixth run of the inning.
The Spartans were unable to mount a comeback late, as UNCG could only put three runners on base over the final four innings.
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