LEXINGTON, Va. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team hung on to win 9-7 over the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Keydets while opening play in The Southern Conference (SoCon) on Friday night at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium.

After Jeremy Wolf led off the game with a double down the left field line, Trey Truitt singled to move Wolf to third. Luke Holland got the Spartans on the board first when he singled through the left side to score Wolf. However, Bradley Garner singled into left-center during the bottom half of the first to score Grayson Fitzwater and tie the game, 1-1.

The Spartans tacked on four more runs with four hits during the second inning. The surge began with Jacob Dilley singling, Jacob Budzik doubling and Jose Perez being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Wolf then singled up the middle to score a pair of runs. Trey Truitt then singled to right to score Perez. Case Kermode drove in the fourth run to make it 5-1 when he grounded into a double play.

UNCG extended its lead to 6-1 during the top of the fourth frame when Trey Truitt hit a sacrifice fly to right-center, which allowed Jose Perez to score from third.

Both sides scored runs during the fifth inning. UNCG got it started, extending its lead to 7-1 when Luke Jenkins doubled off the top of the wall in left-center to score Holland from second. VMI cut the deficit to 7-3 with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning by Fitzwater.

The Spartans tallied two more runs to make it a 9-3 lead in the top of the sixth. The inning began with Perez, Wolf and Trey Truitt each hitting a single to load the bases. Kermode then scored Perez when he rolled into a double play. Parker Wight knocked a single through the right side in the next at-bat to score Wolf and push UNCG's lead to 9-3.

VMI sent another run across the plate in the bottom half of the sixth thanks to a solo home run by Boston Torres, which cut it to 9-4.

In the bottom of the seventh, Cole Raile continued to chip away at UNCG's lead for VMI when he flew out deep enough to center for Kazuya Jordan to score from third. In the next at-bat, Fitzwater batted a single into right to score Owen Prince from third. Garner then roped a single into left to score Fitzwater. Danny Thompson Jr. then entered the game to pitch for UNCG and got two strikeouts to preserve the Spartans' lead at 9-7.

After Thompson Jr. struck out the side in the eighth, he returned to the mound for the ninth and earned his team-leading fourth save of the season. The game ended with Dilley firing the ball down to Perez at third to get Raile caught stealing, which locked down the 9-7 victory for UNCG.

NOTES:

• Thompson Jr. earned his team-leading fourth save of the season with five strikeouts in relief.
• Wolf led the Spartans offensively, batting 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI.
• Trey Truitt went 3-for-4 batting with two RBI.
• Budzik led the team in extra-base hits with two doubles.
• Sam Murchison's line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB & 4 K
• The Spartans outhit the Keydets, 14-12.
• Both sides had one error and struck out nine times.

PITCHING RECORDS:
Sam Murchison: W, 4-1
Evan Parmer: L, 2-2
Danny Thompson Jr.: Save, 4

RECORDS:
UNCG: 11-14, 1-0 SoCon
VMI: 16-10, 2-2 SoCon

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The Spartans will take on the Keydets again in game two of the series on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. back at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium in Lexington.