CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team upset The Southern Conference (SoCon) leader in Western Carolina, 2–1, at Hennon Field on Thursday afternoon. Jacob Budzik drove in the only two RBIs for the Spartans as Noah Chapman and John Horton only allowed two hits and one run to the potent Catamount offense.
Ace Chapman got the start for game one and pitched an absolute gem. Going seven innings with two hits allowed, six walks and six strikeouts in the eventual win with Western Carolina's bats nullified, the Spartans got to work in the top of the fourth with a Jacob Dilley triple with one out. On a 0-1 count, Budzik smashed a slider down the middle over the left field wall for his 10th home run of the season to put UNCG up, 2-0.
Chapman ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking the first two batters of the inning then a fly ball to right field advanced both runners into scoring position. Budzik at third base secured the second out of the inning with a full extension diving catch on a line drive to save a run. Chapman got out of the inning with a fly out to center field to keep the game at 2-0. After a quiet seventh, Horton was brought in for the save opportunity. The closer navigated the eighth with two strikeouts but led off the ninth with a home run to cut the score to 2-1. However, Horton went on to strikeout two batters then coaxed a fly out to end the game at 2-1.
PITCHING RECORDS:
Noah Chapman: W, 4-6
Caleb Burnette: L, 2-8
John Horton: S (6)
NOTES:
RECORDS:
UNCG: 22-29, 7-12 SoCon
WCU: 33-21, 12-7 SoCon
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The Spartans will continue the three-game set at Western Carolina tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.
