SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With the contest tied at 7-7 in the ninth of what was a back-and-forth battle, Dixon Black lifted a fly ball deep to right field that, though caught, allowed Jack Renwick to race home and score the winning run in an 8-7 triumph for Wofford baseball over UNCG at Russell C. King Field Sunday afternoon. The Terriers improve to 21-9 (6-3 SoCon) as they claim the series, and the Spartans drop to 16-14 (5-4 SoCon).
 
"It was great. It was great in the aspect that our guys never faded off – got down, came back," said head coach J.J. Edwards of the triumph. "All the way through, it was just a good game. Tip your cap to Greensboro; they fought really hard, and we're fortunate enough to come out on top at home."
 
Freshman Kenny Michaels (1-0) secured his first win after tossing the final 3.0 innings of the game. He allowed just one run on two hits and a walk with five punchouts. Mike Eggert got the starting nod, throwing 3.1 innings with four runs allowed on eight hits. He struck out four with no walks. Branton Little bridged the gap with 2.2 innings of work. He was responsible for two runs on two hits and three walks.
 
"I just want to go out there and throw as many strikes as possible, get ahead in counts and just get pitches on the plate," said Michaels of his approach in such a tight game.
 
Danny Thompson, Jr. (3-3) suffered the loss after coming on to pitch the bottom of the ninth. He gave up two hits and then the game-winning sacrifice fly.
 
This was Wofford's third walk-off win of the season. It is the first for the Terriers since Dixon Black's sacrifice fly against The Citadel on March 24 to invoke the run-rule. It is the first pure walk-off for Wofford since the opening contest of the season against Towson when Brice Martinez scored the victorious run on a wild pitch.
 
It truly was Black's day as he led the Terriers with three hits and four RBI in the game. He also clubbed his fifth homer of the season. Marshall Toole and Brice Martinez both added two-hit outings. Toole extended his on-base streak to 30 games, and he swiped his 27^th base of the campaign. He still leads the nation and remains perfect on his attempts, needing one more swipe without getting caught to tie for the second-longest stolen base streak in Wofford's program history (Kyle Behrendt, 2009-10).
 
Tyler Hare added two RBI in the game. Daniel Jackson and Jack Renwick each drove in one run. The trio were among four Terriers with a single hit, Tyler Bak the other with his triple.
 
UNCG got on the board first, scoring on an error in the top of the first. But in the bottom of the frame, the Terriers pulled level when Dixon Black singled home Marshall Toole.
 
The Spartans hit a solo homer in the second and added another run with an RBI single in the third to lead 3-1.
 
But the tone for the game was set early with Wofford responding in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Black ripped a two-run home run to left center to tie the contest, and later in the frame Daniel Jackson doubled home the go-ahead run for a 4-3 Wofford lead.
 
UNCG pulled even with a solo homer in the top of the fourth, but a sacrifice fly by Jack Renwick in the bottom of the inning pushed Wofford back in front, 5-4.
 
The Spartans used their own sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to retie the game, 5-5.
 
Both teams were held off the board in the sixth, and UNCG took the lead back with a solo home run in the seventh. The score was 6-5.
 
Wofford rallied in the eighth to take a lead and set itself up for victory in the ninth. Andrew Mannelly worked a lead-off walk before Brice Martinez singled. Jackson put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the pair into scoring position, and Tyler Hare took advantage with a single through the right side to plate both. The Terriers entering the ninth ahead 7-6.
 
But as was fashion for the game, UNCG would not go quietly. An RBI single tied the game at seven and sent Wofford into the bottom of the ninth searching for a walk-off.
 
Renwick began the frame with a single, and Toole followed with one of his own to get two on base for Black. Initially looking to bunt, Black was negated the opportunity when a wild pitch advanced both runners without him having to give himself up just yet. Notably, the winning run was 90 feet away. Black connected on a swing thereafter and sent the right fielder retreating. Though he secured the catch, he had no play at the plate with Renwick racing home to secure an 8-7 walk-off Terrier victory.
 
"It felt really good. Props to all those dudes in front of me that found a way to get there, and props to the pitchers for giving us a chance to win that," said the hero Dixon Black of the walk-off winner. "Everybody did a great job. The approach (on the walk-off) was just sticking to our three, less-than-two approach, doing everything I can to put the ball in play and if not, giving it to the next guy."
 
Wofford hits the road again this week with four games in Florida. First, the Terriers travel to Jacksonville for a midweek battle at North Florida. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. Wofford then makes its way further south in the Sunshine State to face Florida International in a three-game weekend set.