Box Score COLUMBUS, Ohio – UNCG earned an 11-4 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday afternoon at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. Matt Frisbee (Candler, N.C./Enka) turned in a solid performance on the mound, while the UNCG offense went for 16 hits. The Spartans improve to 24-14 on the season. Ohio State falls to 15-24.
“We played a complete game today.” Head coach Link Jarrett said, “You get good starting pitching and solid defense and the versatility of our offense today was impressive. Ryne Sigmon had a great day, two nice base hits right-handed at key times, then a key hit left-handed that drove in two runs. He had a very good day and made a beautiful, hard, running catch in deep right center, almost centerfield with the way we played the hitters. Fantastic job today by Sigmon."
“Tripp Shelton had a good day at the plate.” Jarrett continued, “Our short game was executed fairly well, not as good as I would have hoped, but we did execute some of our short game. (Matt) Frisbee got better as the game went on. He wasn't as sharp early, but he's one of those guys that because he's so physical, and he's a high-character makeup, as he got deeper he could smell it and he got better as he went. We played a good game and that was a good win for us.”
Frisbee started his 10th game of the season against the Buckeyes. The sophomore turned in one of the best starts of his career, going 8.1 innings and struck out a career-high nine hitters. Frisbee allowed eight hits and gave up four earned runs.
The Spartan offense followed up last night's 17-hit performance, with 16 more today. Ryne Sigmon (Danville, Va./Danville CC) led the team with a 3-for-4 game with three RBI, two runs scored and a double. Five others earned multi-hit games. Ben Spitznagel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) had two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Andrew Moritz (Charlotte, N.C./Providence), Michael Goss (Cartersville, Ga./Chattanooga St. CC), and Austin Embler (Southern Pines, N.C./Pinecrest) all tallied two hits. Tripp Shelton (Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth) finished 3-for-3 with an RBI, three runs scored, two doubles and a stolen base.
UNCG jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Shelton led off with a walk; Embler laid down a sacrifice bunt that was mishandled by the second baseman allowing him to reach. Sigmon singled to centerfield where it was misplayed allowing Sigmon to move to third and bringing in two runs. Spitznagel tapped a grounder out to second, but a throwing error allowed him to advance to second base. Sigmon scored on the play to put the Spartans up.
Ohio State answered back, scoring a run in the bottom of the frame. After a Jacob Barnwell led off the inning getting hit by a pitch, Conner Pohl doubled to left center to score Barnwell and cut the lead to 3-1. After loading the bases, UNCG's Frisbee struck out Jalen Washington and got Tre' Gantt to pop up limit the damage.
The Spartans responded by scoring a single run in the top of the third. Cesar Trejo (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) doubled down the left field line to start the inning and came around to score on an Embler single to put the lead back at three at 4-1.
The Blue and Gold tacked on two more in the top of the fourth inning. Sigmon singled to left field and moved to second when Spitznagel laid down an bunt hit. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position and Caleb Webster (Randleman, N.C./Randleman) ground out to second base, allowing Sigmon to score. Goss singled through the left side to score Spitznagel to go up 6-1.
UNCG tacked on two more in the top of the fifth inning. Shelton and Embler singled and moved up on a Ryan Clinch (Jamestown, N.C./Brunswick CC) sacrifice bunt. Sigmon doubled down the first base line to score both and put UNCG up 8-1.
The Spartans added three runs in the top of the sixth. Moritz led off with a walk and moved to third when Goss singled on a hit and run. Shelton hit a double over the right fielder's head to score two before Clinch ground out to bring Shelton around. UNCG led 11-1 after five and a half innings.
Ohio State got a run back in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, back-to-back walks put two on. Gantt singled to right field to score one and cut into the lead at 11-2.
The Buckeyes tacked on two more in the bottom of the ninth, but it was enough as UNCG notched its 24th victory of the season.
The Blue and Gold finish up its series with Ohio State tomorrow afternoon with first pitch at 1:05 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium.
-UNCG-
