GREENSBORO, N.C. - Contrast to their first meeting of the season, UNCG baseball and NC State got locked in a pitchers' duel on Tuesday night, with the Spartans coming out on the wrong side of a 3-0 final in Greensboro. UNCG used eight arms to hold State to just three runs and seven hits, but were unable to plate any runs in their first shutout loss of 2021.

With the game scheduled as a whole staff night for the Spartans, right hander Alex Hoppe earned the start on the mound against the Wolfpack but was pulled in favor of Price King after a shutout first inning. Building off of three consecutive impressive appearances out of the pen, King struck out a pair in a perfect second, but loaded the bases in the third.

Austin Parsley inherited that bases loaded situation with State's sacrifice fly in the third standing as the eventual game-winner. Parsley kept the damage to a minimum with back-to-back fly outs in the third before tossing perfect frames in the fourth and fifth. Parsley retired all eight batters he faced in order, while recording a pair of Ks, keeping the Spartans within a run going into the sixth. 

Spencer Smith recorded the Spartans' lone hit of the night during the third, competing in his first game since coming back from injury. The designated hitter led off the offensive half of the inning with a double off the center field wall, and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was left stranded.

Jared Mathewson and Daniel Cerda combined for a shutout sixth inning, while Brandon Stephens struck out two in a perfect seventh. The UNCG pitching staff held the Wolfpack scoreless from the third through the seventh, before the visitors managed to double their advantage in the eighth.

NC State added an insurance run in the ninth off a triple and a single to open its offensive frame, but the Spartans were unable to respond with any runs of their own, as the final ended 3-0 in favor of visiting State.

>>> Hoppe's start was his first since coming back from injury, and his second appearance in that span of time. He's given up a single hit and a walk over those two trips to the bump, tossing 2.0 shutout frames
>>> Brandon Stephens has not surrendered a run in his last four appearances, while Kross Robinson's run against was the first he's surrendered in his last four trips to the mound. Robinson has posted a 1.59 ERA during that span, while Stephens has made a team-high 10 shutout appearances on the year
>>> Four Spartans reached first safely on Tuesday. In addition to Smith's double, Greg Hardison, Pres Cavenaugh and Matt Kemp each drew a walk

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