SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After six lead changes in the contest, the Wofford College baseball team broke through in the bottom of the twelfth inning to earn a 13-12 win over UNCG on Friday night at King Field. With the game tied after nine frames and no score in the tenth or eleventh inning, the Spartans were retired in order in the top of the 12^th. Wofford had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the inning when a single to left center by Trey Yunger drove in the winning run.
 
Wofford is 19-13 overall and 8-5 in the Southern Conference. UNCG is 15-17 overall and 3-10 in league play after the opening game of the weekend series. The Terriers had 19 hits in the contest, while the Spartans had 13 hits.
 
NOTABLES

• Nolen Hester set a new school record with six hits in the game. The previous record of five hits in a game was shared by 18 players and last happened in 2020 (Mike Brown vs. PC). He also tied the SoCon mark for hits in a game with Tyler White (WCU in 2011).
• By going 6-for-6 in the game, Hester is the first known SoCon player to go 6-for-6 in a league contest, as three previous players were 5-for-5, including Wofford's Alec Paradowski in 2014.
• Trey Yunger tied his career-best with four hits and drove in a career-high six runs.
• Pres Cavanaugh led the Spartans with four hits, including a pair of home runs.
• It was the third extra inning game of the season for the Terriers. Wofford is 3-0 in extra innings.
• Wofford pitcher Josh Vitus threw the first five innings with seven runs allowed on seven hits, along with two strikeouts. Dalton Rhadans went three innings with four runs allowed on five hits and two strikeouts. Clay Schwaner allowed one run in an inning. Zach Byron (1-0) threw the final three innings without allowing a hit to earn his first career win.
• UNCG starter Austin Koehn went an inning with five runs allowed on four hits. Austin Parsley Price King worked an inning with one hit allowed and two strikeouts. Price King threw 1.1 innings with three runs allowed on one hit. Kross Robinson went 3.2 innings with three runs allowed on six hits with five strikeouts. Brandon Stephens (1-2) threw the final 4.0 innings with two runs allowed on seven hits.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Spartans opened the game with a double and with two outs a single up the middle gave them a 1-0 lead. Nolen Hester singled to start the bottom of the first and Colin Davis reached on a fielder's choice, with Hester moving to third on an error. The Spartans turned a double play with Hester scoring to tie the game. Trey Yunger walked, followed by singles from Zeb Roos and Jack Renwick to load the bases. A wild pitch advanced the runners for a 2-1 lead but the Terriers left two on base.
• After the Spartans were retired in order in the second inning, the Terriers loaded the bases with a single by John Dempsey and two walks. With one out, a wild pitch scored a run for a 3-1 lead. A single by Trey Yunger with two outs scored two runs and he moved to third on an error before the inning ended.
• Both teams went in order in the third inning. With one out in the top of the fourth, the Spartans had three straight singles to load the bases. A walk with two outs cut the lead to 5-2 and a double down the left field line cleared the bases and tied the game at 5-5.
• Wofford loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with one out after a double by Nolen Hester and a pair of walks. A single by Trey Yunger drove in two runs and an RBI single by Zeb Roos pushed the lead back to 8-5. The Terriers stranded a pair of runners in scoring position.
• With two outs and a runner on first, a home run by the Spartans cut the lead to 8-7 in the middle of the fifth inning.
• The Spartans had two outs in the top of the seventh when a double and a pair of singles plated two runs to give them a 9-8 lead at the stretch.
• A single by Brennen Dorighi in the bottom of the seventh was followed by a home run over the right field wall by John Dempsey for a 10-9 score. It was his third home run of the season.
• In the top of the eighth, the Spartans led off with a double and had a walk with one out. A single drove in the tying run and a sacrifice bunt scored a run for an 11-10 lead.
• Nolen Hester led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and Colin Davis was intentionally walked. Lawson Hill was safe on a fielder's choice with Hester out at third. A single through the right side by Trey Yunger scored Davis to tie the game at 11 each.
• A solo home run to lead off the ninth inning gave the Spartans a 12-11 advantage. Wofford had two outs when Matty Brown walked. Shane Lussier came in to pinch run and stole second then move to third on an error on the throw. A single by Nolen Hester scored Lussier to tie the game at 12. On a single by Lawson Hill, Hester was out at home and the game moved to extra innings.
• Both teams were retired in order in the tenth inning and the Spartans were in order in the top of the eleventh. Wofford had a runner at first in the bottom of the eleventh, but a double play ended the inning. UNCG went in order in the top of the 12^th inning.
• A lead-off single by Nolen Hester in the bottom of the 12^th was followed by Colin Davis being hit by a pitch. Lawson Hill singled to load the bases.

QUOTABLE
Outfielder Nolen Hester – "We are just a super competitive group of guys and we are never out of a game. As Coach Interdonato says we are always two or three at bats from getting back into rhythm and making it a ballgame again. UNCG played really well tonight as well and it was hard for us to keep battling back. This team is really resilient and we found a way. I felt really good today and wasn't trying to do anything different - just get pitches that I can hit and are in my zone. I put good swings on them and can't really credit it to anything else."
 
UP NEXT
The Terriers and Spartans will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2:00 p.m., with the second game approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.