HIGH POINT, N.C. - UNCG baseball defeated nearby rivals High Point University for a third time this Tuesday, taking the pair's final meeting of the season 12-3 for the Spartans' fifth consecutive win. While it took awhile to get going, the UNCG offense had one of its best nights of the year against the Panthers, with their 17 knocks standing as the second-most the side has tallied in 2021. 10 of those hits came in the eighth inning alone as the Spartans came from behind to beat their Triad rivals, while Josh Madole tied a career-high with four knocks on the night.

The two sides traded shots in the early stages, with the hosting Panthers taking a one-run lead three times in the first five innings. They were the first to strike in the first before back-to-back hits from Madole and Sam Koruschak tied things in the top half of the second. 

HPU responded with another go ahead run in the home half of inning number two, but the Spartans evened things once again on a Greg Hardison RBI-single. High Point regained their lead for a third time in the fifth, shortly after UNCG reliever Austin Parsley entered the game. That score would hold until the Spartans' explosive performance in the eighth, as Parsley kept HPU off the board for three straight innings. 

While the Panthers third run of the night came with Parsley on the bump, the righty was not credited with the run after inheriting a baserunner with no outs in the fifth. Coming into the contest off a perfect 3.2 inning performance against The Citadel last weekend, the Charlotte-native produced his third straight shutout performance, tossing 7.2 innings in total over that current shutout streak. He struck out four High Point batters to match the four he had against the Bulldogs on Friday, on the way to his fifth winning decision of 2021. 

Parsley would get some major run support from the Spartan offense, with UNCG's lineup batting through the order in the eighth. In all, UNCG would make 15 plate appearances in the frame, driving in 10 runs on 10 hits and a Panther error. 

The inning started with back-to-back hits from Corey Rosier and Greg Hardison, who both collected their second knocks of the game, before the Spartans loaded the bases on a defensive error.

Hogan Windish picked up his lone knock of the night in the following at bat, but it proved to be the winning tally, as the second baseman cleared the bases on a triple to left center to put the visitors ahead 5-3.

Madole's third hit of the night brought home Windish before Koruschak put runners on the corners with a single of his own. UNCG's seventh run came across on a double play ball, before Coleman Sawyer singled off the first base bag to make it 8-3. The Spartans continued to drive in runs after the second out, as Rosier and Hardison once again provided back-to-back singles, their third hits of the game and their second of the eighth inning alone. 

Coming on as a pinch runner earlier in the frame, Bradley Bott got the opportunity to drive in a run with his single, while Madole finished his night with his fourth hit of the evening on a single to right. The first baseman's fourth and final knock was also his second of the inning and provided his second and third RBI of the night. 

The Spartans explosive eighth put a dampening on the Panthers' spirits as the home team was shut out in the final two offensive frames. Jake Wolf tossed a shutout eighth but gave up his first base runners of the year on a pair of Panther singles, while Brandon Stephens' perfect ninth put a close to the 12-3 final.

>>> While UNCG delivered just three extra-base knocks and drew only three walks against High Point, their 14 singles were more than enough on Tuesday. In addition to Madole's double and three singles, Rosier went 3-for-6 with a double and Hardison finished 3-for-5, all singles
>>> Madole's three RBI tied with Windish for a game-high, while Hardison drove in a pair. Rosier also crossed home plate a game-high three times, something that Madole, Hardison and Bott all did twice
>>> The Spartans used five arms to finish off High Point, with Parsley, Wolf and Stephens combining to shutout the final three innings. While the UNCG pitching staff gave up 10 hits, they surrendered only a single walk on the day, while striking out eight

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