CONWAY, S.C.  – UNCG baseball records its first win of the Billy Godwin-era this Saturday, as the first-year Head Coach led the Spartans to a 7-5 win over Virginia Tech at the Coastal Carolina-hosted 'Battle at the Beach'

After a scoreless first inning, the Spartans struck first, thanks to an RBI single from 2019 SoCon All-Freshman Zack Budzik. Senior third baseman Caleb Webster opened the top half of the second with a leadoff double, before Budzik delivered the two-out single to give the Spartans a 1-0 advantage. 

Patience at the plate helped double the Spartans' lead in the fourth, with Sam Koruschak and Budzik drawing back-to-back walks. The pair advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch in the following at bat, before Coleman Sawyer delivered his third RBI of the season on a sac fly to right. 

Starting right-hander Austin Koehn held the Hokies scoreless through his first three frames of work, before seeing Virginia Tech cut the Spartan lead in half. The sophomore gave up two singles to start the bottom of the fourth before recording the necessary outs, but a pair of fly outs would be enough to advance the Hokies toward their first run of the afternoon.

UNCG further increased their lead during the sixth, drawing two more walks from Budzik and Hogan Windish. Senior catcher Ryan Caveness responded to the scoring opportunity with his second knock of the day, sending an RBI single down the left field line for a 3-1 Spartan lead.

Virginia Tech would tack on another run in the bottom half of that inning, but the Spartans responded properly in the following frame. After chasing the Hokies' second pitcher of the afternoon with a leadoff Josh Madole single, Caleb Webster reached on a hit by pitch later in the inning, followed by a three-run blast from Windish to give the Spartans' a 6-2 lead. 

After coming in as a substitution during the fifth inning, senior David Flores drove in the Spartans' fourth run of the seventh with an RBI single to center. The Hokies responded with a run of their own in the bottom half, along with a two-run shot in the eighth, but UNCG's lead proved insurmountable in a 7-5 final. 

Things To Know
-- Windish' long ball was the Spartans' first of the year, as the sophomore increased his career homer total to seven. His six in 2019 were tied for a team-high

-- After going 0-for-4 on opening day, shortstop Zack Budzik went 2-for-2 at the plate on Saturday, with three walks and a run scored

-- Combined, sophomore starters Hogan Windish & Zack Budzik delivered four of the Spartans' seven RBI, along with three hits, four walks and three runs scored

-- Left-hander Jack Voigt earned the win after coming in relief of Koehn in the fifth, while junior Alex Hoppe collected the save

Coming Up Next
The Spartans complete their opening weekend in Conway with another 11 a.m. first pitch, this time against San Diego State University. This will be the first time UNCG has ever faced the Aztecs, and the first time the program has faced any of the current members of the Mountain West Conference.

-- UNCG –