JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - A career day for Price King couldn't bring home the win for UNCG baseball on Friday, as the Spartans dropped a 5-1 decision against hosts ETSU to start this weekend's three-game series. 

After the opposing team hung four runs in the opening frame, King inherited a pair of runners in the bottom half of the second while coming on for his 17th appearance of 2021. The lefty plunked the first batter he faced and for a few moments it looked as though the Spartan pitching staff was going to have a tough day against the Bucs, but King quickly composed himself after his initial mistake, going on to toss the final 6.2 innings of the night without a run against.

King did give up a run on a sac fly in the second, but with the runner already on when the southpaw entered the game, the Bucs' fifth and final score of the night would be accredited to the Spartan starter. 

Giving up five baserunners during his time on the bump, King was far from perfect, but the lefty found ways to eradicate his mistakes, mainly with his ability to make opposing batters whiff.

After surrendering a one out walk and allowing the runner to move to second on a failed pickoff attempt, King finished the third with a strikeout and a groundout.

After giving up a one out double, King finished the fifth with a strikeout and a fly out. 

After giving up a one out single, King finished the sixth with a strikeout and a pop-up.

No matter how the ETSU offense got on, King had an answer for the Bucs, finishing his night with a Spartan career-high six strikeouts. While he did give up three knocks, only one of those would go for extra bases, and his 6.2 innings and 87 pitches thrown were both personal bests since joining the UNCG roster this past offseason. 

While King might have deserved a winning decision, the Spartan offense faced an ETSU pitching staff that was equally up to task, holding the visitors to three hits on the night. 

The UNCG offense broke up the no-hitter, and the shutout, in the fourth, but it was in the third that the side might have had their best opportunity to eat into the ETSU lead. 

Dallas Callahan and Corey Rosier drew back-to-back walks, before a Greg Hardison fielder's choice and a Hogan Windish hit by pitch loaded the bases. All three were stranded however, and the Spartans would take a 5-0 deficit to the fourth.

Pres Cavenaugh opened that frame with a leadoff double, scoring in the following at bat after a Buccaneers' fielding error. 

That run was the last the Spartans saw cross home however, with the final ending 5-1 in favor of the home team. UNCG will require a doubleheader sweep on Saturday to receive its third straight series win, something they've done twice in the 2021 SoCon season. 

>>> Windish reached base twice after adding a single in the fifth. He's gone 21-for-53 (.396) with six walks and six HBP in his past 14 games. His hit by pitch on Friday was his 17th of the season, coming into the contest ranked ninth in the nation in that category
>>> Batting three through five in the order, Windish, Sam Koruschak and Pres Cavenaugh were responsible for all three of UNCG's knocks, while Callahan touched first twice on a pair of walks

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