CONWAY, S.C.  – UNCG baseball opens the 2020 season with a loss this Friday, dropping a 12-4 decision to hosts Coastal Carolina in the 'Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach' tournament.

Greg Hardison tallied the Spartans' first hit of the year with a two-out single in the first inning, and Sam Koruschak picked up the first knock of his UNCG career in the second but both would be left stranded.

Starting pitcher Jake Lewis struck out the side in his second frame of work but would see the Chanticleers grab the early lead with a solo shot to right field. The lefty struck out six batters through the first four innings, but a defensive error from the Spartan defense in the bottom half of of the fourth doubled the home team's lead.

Koruschak came through with his second hit in the top of the fifth, with a single out to left. The junior would be the first Spartan to get into scoring position on the day thanks to a pair of wild pitches, but he would be stranded a second time. 

Coastal Carolina opened things up in the bottom of the fifth, as another miscue from the Spartan defense led to a string of eight unearned runs and a 10-0 lead for the home side. 

The Spartans cut into that lead during the top of the seventh, after second baseman Hogan Windish led the frame off with a first-pitch triple, that was later named an error, banging off the right field wall. Senior Jacquez Koonce collected his first RBI of the year in the ensuing at bat with a single up the middle, before a CCU error scored the center fielder later in the inning. 

UNCG tagged another two runs in the top of the ninth thanks to four Spartan knocks and an RBI single from Coleman Sawyer, but it wouldn't be enough to overcome the Chanticleers' lead, as the final score ended 12-4 in favor of CCU.

Things To Know
-- The Spartans outhit the Chanticleers on the night. Only three of the home team's runs went down as earned, with junior transfer Israel Cordero giving up a single earned run over 3.1 innings tossed to close out the night

-- Hardison finished the afternoon 2-for-4 (.500) along with an eighth inning walk, reaching safely in three of five plate appearances

-- Newcomers Pres Cavenaugh and Sam Koruschak combined for three hits on the day, with the former getting his first career knock on a double down the left field line in the ninth

Coming Up Next
The Spartans faceoff with Virginia Tech on Saturday at 11 a.m. back at Spring Brooks Stadium. UNCG has played the Hokies just seven times in program history, dropping a pair of games to Tech last year in Blacksburg.

-- UNCG –