GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG baseball opens its 2021 season with a loss on Friday, falling to visiting Elon (1-0, 0-0) by a final of 7-4. Zack Budzik and newcomer Corey Rosier each notched a pair of knocks, with the latter also drawing two walks. Budzik's second hit of the day came on a ninth inning-triple, the first of the Spartans' season.

UNCG got to the second before seeing the Phoenix grab the first runs of the night, as Elon scored a pair each during the top halves of innings number two and three. The home team created scoring chances in the bottom of the fourth after drawing three straight one-out walks, but a sac fly from Spencer Smith would be all the runs the Spartans created off the scoring opportunity.

The Phoenix scored three unanswered before the Spartans doubled their run total. Two more UNCG walks put Pres Cavenaugh on second, where he was brought in by Rosier on a single through the right side. 

Trailing 7-2, UNCG put up two more runs in the bottom half of the seventh. After seeing Smith get to first on a hit by pitch, Josh Madole followed up with a walk before the pair were both brought home on a dropped fly ball in center. With the Spartans back within striking distance, redshirt senior Jack Voigt took the mound after the first out of the eighth, striking out a pair to keep the visitors scoreless and the Spartans within three of their opponents going to the home half.

Grant Jarman singled to open the bottom of the eighth, followed by Rosier's second knock of the game and the Spartans brought the tying run to plate with zero outs. Two strikeouts and an infield single would load the bases with two outs, but UNCG's come back was cut short after pinch runner Coleman Sawyer was called out at home, trying to steal on a wild Elon pitch. Despite Budzik's two-out triple in the ninth, the hosts couldn't pull out an opening day win, with the score reading 7-4 in favor of the visiting Phoenix at the end.

>> Voigt retired all of his batters on strikeouts, giving up a single hit on his 1.0 innings pitched. Of his 14 pitches, 10 were across the plate
>> Pres Cavenaugh's first knock of the year came on a double to the right field wall, he, Budzik and Jarman all stole bases on their lone attempts of the night
>> Rosier reached safely in four of his five plate appearances, drawing a pair of walks with two singles and a run scored, along with one of his team's two RBI

#letsgoG