JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team swept a doubleheader against the East Tennessee State (ETSU) Buccaneers on Saturday with 5-4 and 3-2 victories to win the three-game Southern Conference (SoCon) series two games to one at Thomas Stadium.

GAME ONE: UNCG 5, ETSU 4
The Spartans struck first when Luke Jenkins doubled to the alley in left-center in the opening inning, which allowed Jeremy Wolf to score from first and make it 1-0. However, ETSU answered with three runs on two hits. After Blake Jacklin hit a one-out single to right, he advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt before scoring on a groundout by Cooper Torres. Grant Gallagher then launched a two-run homer out to left, which made it 3-1 after one inning at Thomas Stadium.

UNCG cut the deficit to one, 3-2, in the top of the fourth inning when JJ Parsons laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Jacob Budzik from third. ETSU countered with a run of its own when Axel Melendez lined out to right deep enough to score Lenny Montesano on a sacrifice fly. After four innings in Johnson City, ETSU led 4-2.

The sixth inning saw Wolf double deep off the wall in left to score Parsons from first with two outs.

The Spartans tied it, 4-4, in the seventh when Jenkins grounded out to second and Parker Wight scored from third.

UNCG then grabbed a 5-4 lead and held it the rest of the game after Brantley Truitt lifted the ball over the wall in left for a solo home run.

Noah Chapman returned to the mound for the ninth and posted a perfect inning to secure the 5-4 victory for the Spartans.

PITCHING RECORDS:
Noah Chapman: W, 3-1
Brady Frederick: L, 3-1

NOTES:

• Brantley Truitt's home run was his first of the season.
• Wolf, Wight and Parsons each had a pair of hits.
• Jay Miller and Chapman pitched for UNCG in game one and combined for nine strikeouts.
• Chapman threw 3.2 innings of no-hit shutout baseball with four strikeouts in relief of Miller.
• UNCG led in extra-base hits by a 5-3 margin.
• The Spartans also had the edge in walks drawn, 4-2.

GAME TWO: UNCG 3, ETSU 2
Wight sent the ball over the wall in left to get the scoring started in the top of the fourth during the second game for UNCG. ETSU quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with JD Yakubinis doubling to left-center to score two runs and give the Buccaneers a 2-1 lead.

The Spartans scored again in the fifth inning to tie it, 2-2. After Brantley Truitt singled through the left side and advanced to second on a groundout, Tyler Steele drove him in with a single to center.

After Jacob Budzik tripled with two outs in the sixth, he scored on an RBI double lined sharply to left by Jacob Dilley. After six innings, UNCG led ETSU, 3-2.

Danny Thompson Jr., who entered the game in relief of Grant Aycock for the Spartans during the fourth, finished the game in the ninth to lock down the 3-2 victory and series win for UNCG.

PITCHING RECORDS:
Danny Thompson Jr.: W, 2-1
Michael Harpster: L, 3-3

NOTES:

• Wight's home run was his team-leading seventh of the season.
• Thompson Jr. struck out a career-high 10 batters while pitching a career-high 5.1 innings of relief work.
• Aycock pitched 3.2 innings and allowed two runs in his seventh start of the season.
• Wight and Dilley each had two hits and an RBI.
• Steele had the only other RBI with one hit.
• Budzik hit his first triple of the season.
• UNCG had the edge with less runners left on base, 8-6.

RECORDS:
UNCG: 14-17, 4-2 SoCon
ETSU: 22-9, 3-3 SoCon

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UP NEXT
The Spartans will head to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Tuesday to face the No. 12 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 6:00 p.m. at David F. Couch Ballpark.