March 6, 2016

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW took advantage of a pair of miscues after a Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) home run to defeat Penn State, 11-2,in non-conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Brooks Field.

Guers hit his first home run of the season and 15th of his career to leadoff the second inning for an early Penn State (2-7) lead. It was short-lived though as a pair of errors early in the bottom half gave UNCW (8-1) the opportunity to add six unearned runs for a 6-1 lead.

Along with Guers, shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) led the Nittany Lion offense driving in a run and extending his hitting streak to nine games. However, UNCW enjoyed another strong starting pitching performance to keep the Lions in check, as RHP Alex Royalty (3-0) went seven innings and allowed just one run on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

Designated hitter Nick Feight paced the Seahawks offensively, going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs and a walk. Feight drove in the final two runs of the six-run second and hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning for an 8-1 lead. Catcher Gavin Stupienski went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, while second baseman Brian Mims and third baseman Zack Canada each had two-hit, two-RBI games.

The Seahawks took control in the second inning. With two runners in scoring position after a walk and error, first baseman Andy Austin drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly. Another walk and error loaded the bases, and left fielder Steven Linkous and second baseman Brian Mims followed with back-to-back RBI-singles for a 3-1 advantage. Stupienski drove in another run with a groundout before Feight drove in two more for the five-run advantage.

Shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) doubled to lead-off the eighth inning and he scored on a groundout by Haley to bring Penn State within six, but UNCW added three more in the bottom half for the final margin.

The Lions used five pitchers with RHP Dakota Forsyth (Bethel Park, Pa.) seeing the most success working four innings and surrendering two runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. RHP Sal Biasi (Hazleton Township, Pa.) started and allowed the six runs, all unearned on three hits and four walks in two-plus innings of work with two strikeouts.

Penn State will conclude the three-game series at UNCW Monday at 2 p.m. RHP Justin Hagenman (Voorhees, N.J.) (1-1) is slated to start for the Nittany Lions.