GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG baseball is off to one of its best starts since the turn of the century after clinching this weekend's series against Elon on a 9-3 final on Saturday. The Spartans are out of the gate with an 8-2 record in 2021, tying their best 10-game start to a season in the past 17 years. Furthermore, with Charlotte's loss to Western Carolina later in the afternoon, UNCG is now tied for the best record of any Division I program in North Carolina. For the second day in a row, the entire Spartan lineup reached first safely, this time combining for 13 hits. Third baseman Zack Budzik and outfielder David Flores both collected three knocks on the evening, with the former driving in three of his team's nine runs.

The Spartans have gotten used to clinching come-from-behind victories and game two of this weekend's series against the Phoenix was no different. Elon collected four of its five hits and all three of its runs in the first three innings, before being shutout in their proceeding six offensive frames. Lefty reliever Price King one-hit the Phoenix during his 1.1 innings, while Austin Parsley kept Elon to a single baserunner over his 3.2 innings to close the night. Parsley surrendered a single walk while striking out five batters to grab his second win of the season, keeping his season ERA to a perfect 0.00.

Corey Rosier's single in the Spartans' first AB of the game would be the only knock UNCG recorded through the first four innings, until the home team's bats got to work in the fifth. The Spartans put the lead man on with Flores' hit by pitch, while Budzik's follow-up double earned the infielder his first RBI of the night. He'd come around later in the inning himself on a Daniel Cerda single, with the Spartans loading the bases on a Rosier walk and an Elon error. With the bases juiced Pres Cavenaugh worked a full count into his team's second walk of the day, pushing in the tying run to make it 3-3.

UNCG followed up their three-run frame with another five in the sixth, plating what proved to be the game-deciding runs on six hits and the Phoenix' second error of the night. The Spartans collected five straight knocks to kickoff the inning with Josh Madole, Flores, Budzik and Callahan all going in order. Budzik's single scored Madole from third for his second RBI of the night, with Callahan's double scoring two to make it a 6-3 advantage for the home side. Cerda's sac bunt moved the Spartan catcher to third with Callahan scoring after Rosier sent his second single off the Elon pitcher. Windish's standup triple in the following at bat brought the runner home from first, as the Spartans collected control of the game at 8-3. 

Budzik drove in his third and final run of the contest during the seventh, as the Spartans hung up runs in three successive innings on Saturday. A Madole walk and a Flores double preceded Budzik's single to left, giving coach Billy Godwin's club the final advantage of 9-3. 

>>> Six Spartans touched first in the sixth inning, as every UNCG batter in the starting lineup made a plate appearance
>>> The back five of the UNCG order finished 9-of-19 (.474) at the plate, while scoring eight of their team's nine runs and accounting for three doubles, two walks and a hit by pitch
>>> Windish's second triple of the season gives the Spartans six three-baggers on the year. He and Rosier are slugging .634 and .674 respectively
>>> Madole leads the Spartans with 14 walks on the year, seven of which have come in his past three appearances. He drew two against the Phoenix pitching staff on Saturday and has a season OBP of .511

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