Baseball Completes Sweep Over N.C. A&T
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team held off the North Carolina A&T Aggies, 9-7, at War Memorial Stadium Wednesday night. Jacob Budzik and Tanner Berry each drove in three RBIs apiece.
UNCG struck first with a Jake Barbour single then a stolen base to set up Budzik for the RBI opportunity. The senior second baseman stepped up and singled with two outs to put the Spartans up 1-0 early. The Aggies responded with a run of their own to tie up the score 1-1 after the first inning. UNCG’s offense continued to hum early as Jacob Dilley clubbed a two-run home run, his third of the season, to extend the lead to 3-1. North Carolina A&T struck back in the bottom of the fourth, knocking out starter Tucker Holland after three and a third innings with an RBI single to put the score at 3-2.
The fifth frame saw Budzik drive in two more RBIs with a double down the left field line which set up Brody Gardner to add an RBI of his own to put the score at 6-2. However, North Carolina A&T rallied in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of its own to bring the game to just one run, 6-5. Ethan Nobles was brought in to close out the game in the eighth frame but gave up the tying run to make it 6-6 heading into the final inning. Lead-off man Luke Jenkins hit a single which led to back-to-back free passes given out by the Aggies. Freshman Berry stepped up to the plate with the bases juiced and delivered a clutch bases clearing double to bring the game to 9-6 to head into the bottom of the ninth. North Carolina A&T was able to push across a run thanks to a sacrifice fly, but it wasn’t enough as Nobles closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game at 9-7.
PITCHING RECORDS:
Ethan Nobles: W, 2-0
Agyei Quinichett : L, 0-2
NOTES:
UNCG outhit North Carolina A&T, 13-12.
Holland made his first career start for the Spartans.
UNCG had four batters with multi-hit performances.
The Aggies’ left 13 runners on base compared to the Spartans 10.
Budzik extends his hit streak to seven games.
UNCG went 10-for-19 with two outs tonight.
RECORDS:
UNCG: 7-11
NCAT: 3-13
UP NEXT
The Spartans will travel to take on the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) in a three-game series from Friday through Sunday at Curtis Granderson Ballpark. First pitch on Friday is slated for 4:00 p.m.
Courtesy of Grayson Chastain
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro