SPARTANBURG, S.C. – To open a weekend Southern Conference series, the Wofford College baseball team defeated UNCG 12-3 on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers scored four runs each in the third and seventh innings to earn the win over the league's first place team.
 
Wofford is 27-21 overall and 9-7 in the Southern Conference. UNCG is 33-14 on the season and 11-5 in league play. The Terriers were led by Mack Nathanson with three hits and a career-high four RBIs, while Kody Ruedisili and Derek Hirsch added two hits each. The Spartans, who are ranked first in the NCAA in team batting average, were held to six hits in the game.
 
The Spartans were retired in order in the top of the first inning and Alec Paradowski led off the Wofford half of the first with a double to right center. Paradowski stole third and scored on a bunt single by Derek Hirsch for a 1-0 lead. With two outs and Hirsch on third base, a double down the left line by Max McDougald made it a 2-0 game. Both teams were retired in order in the second inning.
 
In the top of the third, the Spartans led off with a single and left two runners on base in the middle of the frame. Alec Paradowski was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the third and Derek Hirsch followed with a single. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners and a walk to Dylan May loaded the bases. Max McDougald reached on an error that plated two runs. With two outs and two runners on base, Mack Nathanson doubled and moved to third on a throw as two more runs were driven in for a 6-0 lead.
 
UNCG left a pair of runners on base in the top of the fourth after a single and a walk. Demetrius Jennings led off the bottom of the fourth with an infield single, but was stranded at second. In the top of the fifth, the Spartans had back-to-back singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. With one out, a sacrifice fly made it a 6-1 game. A walk loaded the bases again, but a strikeout ended the top half of the fifth. Wofford was retired in order to end the fifth inning and UNCG went down in order to start the sixth inning.
 
Mack Nathanson opened the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to right center. It was his fourth home run of the season to give Wofford a 7-1 lead. Kody Ruedisili followed with a triple to center and an RBI ground out by Alec Paradowski made it 8-1. The Spartans were retired in order in the top of the seventh. Wofford opened the bottom half of the seventh with a single by Brett Hash and walks by Dylan May and Max McDougald to load the bases.  With one out, a single by Mack Nathanson drove in one run and a double by Kody Ruedisili plated a pair for an 11-1 lead. A sacrifice fly by Demetrius Jennings gave Wofford a 12-1 advantage, but the Terriers left the bases loaded to end the seventh inning.
 
With two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Ryne Sigmon hit a two-run homer for the Spartans to cut the lead to 12-3. Chandler Engel had a single for the Terriers in the bottom of the eighth, but was left on base. The Spartans were retired in order in the ninth to end the game.
 
Wofford starting pitcher Matthew Milburn (6-4) went six innings and gave up one run on four hits. He struck out eight batters, giving him 85 for the season which ranks ninth in a single season at Wofford. Jordan Accetta worked two innings with two runs allowed on a pair of hits and two strikeouts. David Ehmen did not allow a hit in the ninth with two strikeouts.
 
Hunter Smith (6-2) started for UNCG and allowed eight runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts. Easton Welch gave up three runs on one hit and Jake Lewis had one run allowed on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Ben Kerner went the final 1.1 innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts.
 
The Terriers and Spartans will continue the series on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.