Furman Upsets UNCG in SoCon Tournament Opener

Game 1: #7 Furman 12, #2 UNCG 6
Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The No. 7 seed Furman Paladins scored in all but two innings, as its offense pounded out 17 hits en route to a 12-6 upset of No. 2 seed UNCG in the opening game of the 2011 Bennett Hospitality Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Carolina Ford Dealers.

Furman improves to 24-31 and will move on to play tomorrow at 5 p.m., and UNCG (34-19) moves into the consolation bracket and will play tomorrow at 9 a.m. The teams' opponents are based on the results of the game between Appalachian State and Samford with the winner facing Furman and the loser matching up against UNCG. Live stats will be available on SoConSports.com.

The two teams combined for 28 hits and 12 walks in a game that featured plenty of offense. Furman used four pitchers in the matchup while the Spartans went deep in its pitching staff using six arms.

Leading the way offensively for Furman was Reese Wade, who went 3-for-5 including a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Cody Walker went 2-for-5 for UNCG with two RBIs.

Bobby Lyne (4-4) notched the win for the Paladins while Warren Slack (7-2) picked up his only second loss of the season, both against Furman.

Furman struck for the early lead with a run in the opening inning. Will Owens led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a ground out by Aaron Thompkins. With two outs, Wade brought Owens home with a single up the middle to give the Paladins the 1-0 advantage.

The Paladins increased their lead in the next inning with another vital two-out hit. Furman loaded the bases via a Will Miller hit by pitch, an Alex Abrams single and a Rob Fondu walk. J.B. Jenkins, the Furman shortstop, then knocked a 1-1 pitch for a double over the left fielder's head off the all-conference pitcher Slack. Jenkins cleared the bases on his two-bagger to give the Paladins the 4-0 lead early in the game.

UNCG responded in the bottom half of the second with a run. Chris Barker opened the inning for the Spartans with a walk and advanced to second off a throwing error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt. Barker moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on a single to right center from Cody Walker. UNCG would load the bases in the inning, but would not push another run across as the Paladins maintained a 4-1 lead.

Furman would get the run back and then some insurance in the top of the third with two runs to push its lead to 6-1. Wade and Paul Nitto led off the third with back-to-back singles and after a Miller walk, the Paladins had the bases loaded with one out. Wade would score on an Abrams single for the first Furman run, and Nitto came home on a sacrifice fly to left field by Fondu. Miller was thrown out at second on the sacrifice, but not before Nitto crossed for the second Paladin run of the inning.

In a game that was not lacking offense in the early innings, the Spartans would respond to Furman's two runs in the top half of the inning with two of their own in the bottom half. The Spartans would load the bases with no outs with a Trevor Edwards hit by a pitch, an Eric Brindle single and a Barker hit by a pitch. Cody Walker would then score Edwards on an infield single that ricocheted off the pitcher's glove. Brindle scored the final Spartan run of the inning on a Crawford sacrifice fly to right field; however, Barker was thrown out at third trying to advance on the play.

After keeping the Paladins off the board in the fourth, Furman figured out the Spartan pitching in the fifth, striking for two more runs. A leadoff single by Nitto followed by a double by Will Muzika scored the first Paladin run. UNCG then went to the bullpen to bring in Greg Smith to replace Jonathan Jones, who came in to relieve Slack in the third. Muzika, who would steal third on Smith's first pitch, came around to score on a Miller single up the middle. After Smith issued a walk to the next batter, the Spartans would call on its fourth pitcher of the game and bring in Zach Furl. Furl would get the Spartans out of the inning by forcing line out unassisted double play to the first baseman.

Furman would add two more in the sixth thanks to a two-RBI double by Wade. Jenkins reached base on a walk and Thompkins reached safely on a single to center. Jenkins and Thompkins would cross home on the Wade double to right center to put the Paladins in double-digits with a 10-3 lead.

The Spartans trimmed the Paladin lead in the bottom half of the sixth by plating three and close within 10-6. UNCG loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to Crawford and pinch hitter John Hein followed by a single by Ray Quinones. Bobby Martin would knock in the first run of the inning with a single up the middle, and Edwards would send two more home with a single to left. Furman would then go to the bullpen for the second time in the inning and Drake Brown, who would record the final two outs of the inning with only two pitches.

Owens' third hit of the game scored another Paladin run in the top of the seventh. After an Abrams hit and a Fondu walk, Furman had two runners on base with one out. Owens knocked the eighth pitch of the at bat to left center to push the Furman lead back up to five at 11-6. Spartan pitcher Tyler Hollstegge, who relieved Furl earlier in the inning, forced the next batter to hit into an inning-ending double play to limit the Paladin damage.

Furman added its final run of the game in the ninth with a Fondu single up the middle, which scored Miller, who reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Abrams.