Friday, March 25, 2005

GREENSBORO, N.C. (Mar. 25, 2005) - UNC Greensboro pitcher Chris Mason was dominant Friday night, allowing just two unearned runs on four hits while striking out a school-record 16 batters as the Spartans defeated East Tennessee State, 6-2, from UNCG Baseball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

            With the win, UNCG raises its record to 15-6, 6-1 in Southern Conference play. ETSU falls to 11-7, 2-5 in SoCon games.

            UNC Greensboro took the lead with five runs in the bottom of the second. David Adams led off the inning with a single and Adam Deleo and Logan Smith followed with back-to-back bunt singles to load the bases. Mike Mongiello brought Adams home with another single and Jeremy Roulin followed with a two run single to left. Mongiello would cross the plate on a wild pitch while Roulin came home on a groundout by Justin Crist.

            East Tennessee State rallied for two runs in the top of the third. With one out, junior shortstop Chuck Hargis (Powell, Tenn.) reached on an error, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Senior second baseman Nick Crowe (Johnson City, Tenn.) brought Hargis home with a single to centerfield. Crowe advanced to third on a wild pitch and an error and scored the Bucs' second run on an RBI single to right-center by senior catcher Caleb Moore (Knoxville, Tenn.).

            The Spartans scored their final run in the bottom of the third. Jake Linney was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by David Adams. Then with two down, Logan Smith hit a single up the middle to score Linney.

            From that point on, both team's pitchers took control as Mason retired 15 straight Bucs at one point and Buccaneer junior starter Steven Calicutt (Spartanburg, S.C.) settled in to hold UNCG scoreless over the next four innings. ETSU senior righty David Yates (Douglasville, Ga.) made his season debut, pitching a perfect eighth inning.

            With the win, Mason runs his record to 4-2 on the season. He has been phenomenal so far in 2005, lowering his ERA to 1.53 this evening while striking out 61 opposing batters against just six walks.

            Calicutt (2-4) pitched well but was charged with the loss, allowing six runs on 12 hits in seven innings of work. All but one of the hits he allowed was a single.

            ETSU sophomore left fielder Stephen Douglas (Kennesaw, Ga.) extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the ninth while Crowe, Moore and junior right fielder Shane Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) also had a hit on the night. Crowe also scored a run and drove in a run.

            Roulin led the UNCG offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs. Crist also had two hits for the Spartans in the win.

            The Bucs and Spartans return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. for the second game of their three-game SoCon series tomorrow afternoon from UNCG Baseball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.