EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. - It's hard to follow up the 22-hit, 14-run performance that UNCG baseball had at Elon last Sunday, but the Spartans went out on Tuesday aiming to mimic their offensive production from the weekend and may have succeeded in exceeding it. Coach Godwin's side tallied 18 runs in the first four innings to take a commanding lead against North Carolina A&T, in Act I of this year's "Battle for the 'Boro" series, finishing with a 23-0 advantage before the night was over. UNCG had just 13 knocks on the afternoon, but was boosted by the long ball, as both Hogan Windish and Pres Cavenaugh went deep on the night, with the latter tallying his team's second grand slam of 2021.

In a game with so much scoring, starting righty Brendan Collins's performance might have been overshadowed, as the transfer from Brunswick CC went a career-best 5.0 innings into the game, holding a no-hitter through the first 12 outs. Collins kept the Aggies to just a single hit during his time on the hill, while walking four and collecting six strikeouts. He combined with five other Spartan arms to collect UNCG's first shutout since no-hitting Fairfield last February, with freshmen Zack Mallia and Ryan Rouse making their collegiate debuts. Shortstop Daniel Cerda also made his first appearance on the mound since transferring from Chipola College in the offseason, while redshirt-sophomore Jake Wolf collected the final out of the night. 

The visitors hopped on the Aggies from the get, hanging three runs in the opening frame. Cavenaugh delivered his first RBI hit of the night with a single to follow up a Windish walk and a Corey Rosier hit by pitch. The redshirt freshman came around later in the inning on a Josh Madole single, while David Flores' sac fly gave the Spartans an early three-run advantage.

The Spartans loaded the bases before registering a single out in the first, with Flores coming through with a bases clearing triple, the third of his career and UNCG's seventh three-bagger of 2021. Madole came through with his second RBI single to bring home Flores in the frame, making it 7-0 before the home half of inning number two.

Windish's fourth home run of the year gave the Spartans another three-run frame, as the second baseman went opposite field to score Robbie O'Neal and Smith in the top half of the third. His tater puts him in a tie for a season-high with Corey Rosier, who registered three long balls at Latham Park this last weekend against Elon.

With double-digits already on the board, UNCG batted around in the fourth, plating eight runs on four hits and an Aggie error. With the Spartans loading the bases without a single out on the board, Smith singled to plate a run before O'Neal drew a bases loaded walk. Two more came across on a Cerda single and another walk, with Windish reaching first for a third time on the night with his hit by pitch. 

Cavenaugh's first homer in a Spartan uniform came at an opportune time, pulling a ball to right field for UNCG's second grand slam of the season. The outfielder's four-run shot lifted his RBI-total for the evening to five, a new career-high, while putting the visitors ahead 18-0.

With the game well in hand, head coach Billy Godwin began emptying his bench in the fifth. Cerda, O'Neal and Grant Jarman loaded the bases on three straight walks to open the inning, while Bradley Bott collected the first RBI of his career on yet another bases loaded walk. The Spartans would score just a single run in the fifth, breaking up their streak of multiple run innings, but would add another four during the sixth. 

The top of the sixth was an ugly one for the Aggie pitching staff as UNCG drew four walks and two hit by pitches, hanging four runs without a single hit in the frame. Cerda and Matt Kemp both had bases loaded walks, while Bott's hit by pitch gave the redshirt-freshman his second RBI of the night. Coleman Sawyer's RBI groundout completed the Spartans' scoring on the night, as UNCG had 10 plate appearances with bases loaded by the end of the sixth, taking a 23-0 advantage that would last for the remainder of the night.

>>> 10 Spartans collected RBI on the night, led by Cavenaugh's five. Flores drove in four runs against the Aggies, followed by Windish's three
>>> The UNCG offense drew a season-high 15 walks, while getting plunked four times. O'Neal had a team-high three bases on balls, while Cerda drew two
>>> The Spartans' run total is the fifth-most they have scored in a single contest in their program history. Their 23-0 victory is not the biggest win they've had in the "Battle for the 'Boro", beating A&T by a score of 26-1 back in 2003

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