Army Black Knights over Spartans 6-3 at UNCG

from www.goarmysports.com:

ARMY over UNCG baseball….6-3 Final…

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Kevin McKague and Shaun Wixted drove in two runs apiece to lead a five-run first inning and Kirk Porter fired 3.2 innings of shutout relief as Army defeated UNC Greensboro 6-3, Friday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium.

Army jumped on UNC Greensboro starter Matt Parish for five runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Zach Price drew a leadoff walk, David Darnell reached on an infield single and Joey Henshaw walked to load the basees with one out. Kevin McKague followed with a two-run single up the middle. Ben Koenigsfeld’s grounder to third was mishandled by Spartan third baseman Taylor Schwarz for a fielding error, plating Henshaw with Army’s third run of the inning. A two-run double down the left field line by Shaun Wixted scored both McKague and Koenigsfeld, providing Army starter Matt Fouch with a 5-0 lead before he threw his first pitch of the day.

The Spartans (6-2) scrapped for a single run in the bottom of the second inning when Ed Jayjack drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a double to right-center field by Zach Leach and scored on a groundout by Cody Walker.

Back-to-back solo home runs by Jayjack and Ray Quinones off Fouch in the fourth drew the Spartans within 5-3.

The Black Knights avoided danger in the sixth when UNC Greensboro placed runners at first and second with one out against Fouch. But Porter was summoned from the bullpen and escaped the jam as Leach lined into an inning-ending double play to shortstop, halting the frame.

Army (3-1) missed out on a golden opportunity to pad its lead in the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out, but failed to score. The Black Knights were able to tack on an insurance run one inning later, though, with Price serving as the catalyst once again, drawing his second leadoff walk of the game. Darnell’s sacrifice bunt attempt went for an infield single, placing runners at first and second. Both runners advanced into scoring position on Clint Moore’s sacrifice bunt. Henshaw’s sacrifice fly to right stretched Army’s lead to 6-3.

UNC Greensboro threatened against Porter in the ninth, placing the tying run at the plate after Leach was hit by a pitch and Chris Barker singled through the left side of the infield. But Army’s junior right-hander stiffened from there, striking out pinch-hitter Harry Slade and Eric Brindle to end the game.

from UNCG site:

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Army exploded for five runs in the first inning and Matt Fouch and Kirk Porter made it stand as UNC Greensboro fell to the Black Knights, 6-3, on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

Fouch pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Black Knights (3-1) to pick up the win after allowing three runs on five hits. Porter came in to pitch the final 3 2/3 innings, while giving up only two hits to pick up his first save of the season.

UNCG (6-2) starter Matt Parish picked up his first loss of the season after giving up five runs, four earned, on three hits in just a third of an inning.

The Spartans were led at the plate by Ed Jayjack who went 1-3 with a solo home run and Ray Quinones who was 2-4 with a home run of his own.

Shaun Wixted and Kevin McKague each had two RBI for the Black Knights, while David Darnell and Zach Price added two hits apiece.