Dilley’s Bases-Clearing Double in Seventh Sends UNCG Baseball Past VMI

The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team won the second game of a three-game series in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action 8-7 against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets on Saturday at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

The win extended the Spartans' winning streak to a season-high five games.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Keydets claimed the game's first run when Trey Morgan doubled down the line in right to score Owen Prince from second. Then with two outs, Ty Swaim singled to right to bring Morgan around for a 2-0 lead.

Leading off for the Spartans, Aidan Brewer quickly put the home team on the board by clubbing a first-pitch home run out to left-center. Brewer's ninth home run of the season cut the Keydets' lead to 2-1 after one inning.

UNCG grabbed its first lead of the afternoon by scoring a pair of runs in the third inning. Jake Ogden drove in the first one, doubling down the left field line to score Caleb Cozart from first. Ogden then scored when Mitchell Smith blooped a single into shallow right.

VMI evened the score in the top of the fourth on a double to left-center by Cole Jenkins that scored Kazuya Jordan, making it 3-3.

The Keydets reclaimed a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth with Justin Starke hitting a sacrifice fly. Jed Barrett then scored from third following a throw down to second during a delayed steal attempt by Prince.

UNCG exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take back an 8-5 lead. The first run came from Ogden singling through the left side to score Aidan Brewer. Trey Truitt then hit a ground-rule double out to the alley in left to tie it before Jacob Dilley clubbed a bases-clearing double that scored three and made it 8-5.

The ninth inning saw the Keydets rally and score a pair of runs on a single through the left side by Swaim. However, Danny Thompson Jr. hung on to secure an 8-7 victory for the Spartans and his third save of the season.

NOTES:

• Grant Aycock earned the win after pitching 2.2 scoreless no-hit innings in relief of Ready. He walked three and struck out two.
• Thompson Jr. came in with one on in the ninth and earned his third save of the season.
• Rob Ready started for the Spartans and went 5.1 innings, surrendering four earned runs and eight hits while walking three and striking out two.
• Dilley led the Spartans with three RBI thanks to his bases-clearing double that put UNCG in front in the seventh.
• Ogden led UNCG with three hits and was a home run shy of the cycle.

PITCHING RECORDS:
Grant Aycock: W, 1-0
Trey Morgan: L, 3-5
Danny Thompson Jr.: Save, 3

RECORDS:
UNCG: 25-16, 9-5 SoCon
VMI: 24-22, 6-8 SoCon

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UP NEXT
The Spartans and Keydets wrap up their three-game weekend series with the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.