SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 9-2 by UNCG at Russell C. King Field on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans scored first and had a 4-2 lead after four innings. They added four runs in the fifth inning on the way to the final margin.
Wofford is now 29-16 on the season and 10-5 in the Southern Conference. UNCG is 31-11 overall and 12-3 in the league, having won the weekend series 2-1. The Terriers had five different players with a hit in the contest. The Spartans had 17 hits in the game, the most by a Wofford opponent this season, with Caleb Webster, Andrew Moritz and Josh Madole having three hits each.
The Spartans left the bases loaded in the top of the first inning.
Colin Davis singled to lead off the bottom of the first, but the Terriers left one on base to end the frame. In the second inning, UNCG added two singles and Wofford was retired in order. With one runner on base in the top of the third, Tripp Shelton hit a home run to left center for a 2-0 lead. The Terriers went in order in the bottom half of the third.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Spartans scored two runs on four singles to extend the lead to 4-0. Wofford had back-to-back singles from
Mack Nathanson and
Andrew Orzel with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Both runners scored on a single by
Brett Rodriguez to make it a 4-2 game. Rodriguez stole second and third base, but was unable to reach home. The Spartans led off the fifth with a hit by pitch. With one out, four straight singles scored three runs for a 7-2 lead. A sacrifice fly added a run as the Spartans had an 8-2 advantage in the middle of the fifth inning.
The Terriers were retired in order to end the fifth inning and the Spartans had a single in the top of the sixth inning.
McClain Bradley singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but a fielder's choice ended the inning. In the top of the seventh, the Spartans had a pair of singles and then a sacrifice fly increased the lead to 9-2. Wofford went in order to close out the seventh inning and the Spartans left one on base in the top of the eighth after a single.
After the Terriers were retired in order in the bottom of the eighth, the Spartans went in order in the top of the ninth inning. Wofford led off the bottom of the ninth with walks to
Mack Nathanson and
Andrew Orzel. A strike out and a pair of ground outs ended the game.
Scottie Wallace (0-2) started for the Terriers and went three innings with two runs allowed on five hits, along with one strikeout.
Jake Hershman threw two innings with six runs allowed on eight hits.
Matt Ellmyer gave up one run on four hits with two strikeouts in three innings.
Anthony Garcia did not allow a hit in the ninth with one strikeout.
UNCG starting pitcher Jake Lewis threw 3.2 innings with two runs allowed on four hits while striking out two batters. Andrew Wantz (5-0) went 4.2 innings and allowed just one hit with ten strikeouts. Jack Maynard did not allow a hit in the final two-thirds of an inning.
Wofford will host Presbyterian College on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. before a road Southern Conference series at Samford.
