COLUMBIA, S.C.- The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team's four-run comeback ninth inning fell short to the South Carolina Gamecocks, 9-7, on Opening Day of the 2022 season.
Pres Cavenaugh was a single away from hitting for the cycle.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Six pitches into opening day, Pres Cavenaugh proved why he was the Perfect Game's Preseason Player of the Year with a solo home run to right field.
- Hogan Windish kept the momentum going for the Spartans with a single up the middle.
- South Carolina had men on the corners. Kennedy Jones made an incredible diving catch in left field to hold the Gamecocks to only two runs and to end the inning.
- Cavenaugh's next at-bat saw him rounding two bases to get to third.
- Austin Koehn ended his run on the mound with two-outs in the bottom of the third.
- Sam Murchison made his UNCG debut with the Spartans and ended the third.
- The Spartans bats would heat up in the top of the eighth with a two-run homer by Windish to cut the Gamecocks lead to three.
- Jake Wolf relieved Murchison and got the Spartans last two outs of the eighth inning.
- With three more outs to end the game and the Spartans down by six, Windish hit a solo home run to put a spark in UNCG's bats.
- Matt Kemp singled to left and then advanced to second on a fielder's choice.
- Jones drove Kemp in with single up the middle and was brought home with a double from Cavenaugh to put the Spartans within four.
- Zack Budzik walked on a full count which brought Windish up to bat with two outs.
- Windish's double brought in Cavenaugh and Budzik to make it 9-7 in the Gamecocks favor.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Cavenaugh and Windish led with three hits.
- Jones and Cavenaugh had two runs, while Budzik, Windish, and Kemp had one.
- Windish led with four RBI's.
- Hardison walked twice.
- Murchison finished with 4.2 innings pitched, five hits, three runs, two walks and three strikeouts.
- Jones and Ethan McKay were the only two freshmen to make their collegiate debut.
- The Spartans finished with nine hits.
FINAL WORDS FROM COACH STARBUCK
"I thought out guys did a good job of facing a really good arm on a Friday night. I thought we did a really good job of battling and making tough outs. We hit a lot of balls hard early. I thought
Sam Murchison was outstanding on the mound. HE came in when we were down 5-1 and threw up some zeros and gave us a chance to hang around. The ninth inning is what you want to see out of your guys. The guys made every out a tough out and get to the next one. All in all, we're not satisfied with a loss, but to have the opportunity to watch our kids not quit is what we want."
UPCOMING
UNCG will continue the series with South Carolina tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.