Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Ryne Sigmon (Danville, Va./Danville CC) delivered his third home run of the season against the Wofford Terriers on Friday night at Russell C. King Field on Wofford's campus. The Spartans fell to the Terriers 12-3 in Spartanburg and drop to 33-14 on the season, and 11-5 in the Southern Conference. Wofford improves to 27-21, and 9-7 in the SoCon.
“We didn't get out of the gates well tonight.” Head Coach Link Jarrett said, “Their (Wofford) starting pitcher was really good tonight. We didn't pitch or defend as well as we needed to. We weren't as tough as we needed to be during some of our at bats in key moments of the game. Its an unfortunate game, but we have to recover. Its tough to open the series with that kind of game, but we have tough kids and I know we'll be ready to go tomorrow.”
UNCG garnered six hits in the game, with Sigmon leading the offense. Sigmon's two-run home run scored Devin Ruiz (Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI) who had doubled earlier in the inning. L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College), Michael Goss (Cartersville, Ga./Chattanooga St. CC), Jake Kusz (Durham, N.C./Riverside) and Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) all added hits in the contest.
Hunter Smith (Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville) (6-2) suffered his second loss of the season. The redshirt junior logged 6.0 innings, allowing eight runs, five earned, and struck out seven batters. Easton Welch (Randleman, N.C./Randleman) made his first appearance in a SoCon game, and 12th of the season, in the seventh inning.
Jake Lewis (Wendell, N.C./Corinth Holders) worked 0.2 innings, striking out a batter. Ben Kerner (Cary, N.C./Brunswick CC) threw 1.1 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out four batters.
Wofford took an early 2-0 lead, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. After a lead off double from Alec Paradowski, a stolen base moved him to third before a bunt hit from Derek Hirsch brought him in. A double from Max McDougald scored Hirsch and gave the Terriers an early lead.
The Terriers tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the third frame. Paradowski led of the inning, getting hit by a pitch. A hit and a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position for McDougald who hit a sharp grounder to third that was misplayed by UNCG and scored two runs. Mack Nathanson then doubled to score two and bush the lead to 6-0.
UNCG scored their first run in the top of the fifth inning. Back-to-back singles from Kusz and Trejo started the frame before Spitznagel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kalawaia hammered a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to score Kusz and cut the lead to 6-1 Terriers.
Wofford added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. After a lead off home run from Nathanson, Kody Ruedisili tripled to keep the rally going. Wofford scored Ruedisili on a ground out to push the lead to 8-1.
The Terriers tacked on four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and extended their lead to 12-1.
UNCG cut into the lead in the top of the eighth. Sigmon connected for his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to trim the lead to 12-3.
The Spartans and Terriers return to action on Saturday, May 7th at 3:00 p.m. for game two of the SoCon series at Russell C. King Field.
-UNCG-
