GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG baseball has been making a case for itself as one of the top ball clubs in the state over the past two weeks. After hanging 16 runs in a win at No. 11 NC State last midweek, the Spartans came back with a 9-7 win over visiting (RV) Charlotte this Tuesday, beating one of the last 15 unbeatens in the country and improving their own record to 6-2. The Spartans have been able to find ways to win in multiple ways over the first two-plus weeks of the season, this time using an eighth inning go-ahead grand slam from Hogan Windish to earn a come from behind victory over the 49ers.

"This team has a crazy amount of grit," said Windish in postgame. "It doesn't matter who we play, or where at, we're going to play our hardest and we're going to get dirty when we do it. No matter what it takes, we're going to get it done."

Both sides scored in the opening inning, with Windish tallying his team's tying run in the bottom half with some heads up base running. After getting hit by a pitch, the second baseman moved to third on a Greg Hardison double before crossing home plate on a wild pitch. 

Price King provided some quality relief on the mound. After taking the hill in the first, the southpaw retired eight straight batters before giving up a walk in the fourth. King gave up a single unearned run over his 4.1 innings of work while limiting one of the hottest offenses of the season to two hits and two walks.

The Spartans made up that run in the bottom half of the fourth, hanging three in the frame in total. A Spencer Smith single and a Josh Madole walk gave Zack Budzik the opportunity to put a pair of runners in scoring position with the sacrifice bunt. Pres Cavenaugh loaded the bases on the first of his two walks on the night, while Daniel Cerda took another hit by pitch to bring things even at two runs apiece. 

While he won't get credited with any RBI, Corey Rosier helped drive in his team's last two runs of the inning. Hitting a ball into the ground, the Charlotte pitcher was forced to make a play to first, but the pace of Rosier going down the line forced a quick throw that was offline for the 49er first baseman. Rosier reached safely while Cavenaugh and Madole came home, making it 4-2 Spartans on the throwing error.

The score remained the same until the eighth, when the undefeated 49ers put up five runs in the visiting half. Charlotte collected three hits in the frame, but it was a hit by pitch, a pair of walks and two wild pitches that gave the visitors their offensive spurt.

UNCG was left with a three-run hill to climb, but refused to go quietly, matching the 49ers run production with five of their own. Madole and Sam Koruschak opened the bottom half with a pair of walks, while Cavenaugh loaded the bases with an infield single. Another bases loaded hit by pitch added an RBI to Rosier's season total, as all of sudden, the Spartans had the go-ahead run at first with one of their heaviest hitters coming to bat.

"It was crazy," said Windish. "At first, their guy was throwing a lot of fastballs so I was looking for that, but I had a feeling there that maybe he was going to try and sneak a slider by me, and he did, and I was able to stay on it and put a good bat to it."

Windish drove his third homer of the year over the wall in left field, giving the Spartans a two-run lead in the eighth on the grand slam. His four-RBI at bat puts him level with Rosier for a team-high of eight this year and put a fire under his teammates in the dugout. 

With a 9-7 lead now in hand, righty Brandon Stephens took the mound for a save opportunity in the ninth, closing out the frame on seven pitches to maintain his 0.00 season ERA and collect his second save of 2021. 

>>> The Spartans drew six walks on the night and were hit by pitches on five separate occasions. Josh Madole drew three of those walks and had one HBP while scoring a pair of runs
>>> Charlotte came into the night averaging .347 at the plate with three home runs per game. They hit .161 against the Spartan pitching staff and had only one extra-base knock, a double in the eighth
>>> Spencer Smith was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored, while Cavenaugh went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored
>>> Of the Spartans' six RBI on the night, four came off the bat of Windish's grand slam, while the other two came off bases loaded hit by pitches

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