GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Collin Woody singled to lead off the ninth inning and later scored the game winning run on a bases loaded walk to give UNCG a 9-8 victory over Furman on Sunday, helping the Spartans avoid the the three-game series sweep. 

UNCG (15-17, 6-6 SoCon) battled back from a 6-0 first inning deficit to earn the win, scoring eight unanswered runs to take an 8-6 lead before Furman (15-19, 5-7 SoCon) scored twice, including a sacrifice fly by Jordan Simpson in the ninth that plated Kyle Simmons, to tie the game at 8-8.

In the bottom of the ninth, Woody bounced the third pitch he saw from Paladin reliever Elliott Warford (3-2) up the middle for a single, advanced to second on a walk to Aaron Wright, and on to third on a sacrifice bunt.  Following an intentional walk to load the bases, Woody trotted home with the game winner after Warford walked Tyler Long on four pitches.

The Paladins appeared set to claim the series sweep after striking for six runs in the first inning and chasing UNCG starting pitcher Michael Bates from the mound before the freshman right-hander recorded an out.  Bates walked the first three batters he faced before yielding an RBI single to Chris Ohmstede and a two-run single to Jordan Simpson.  Blake Chisolm followed with an RBI off a fielding error, and Cameron Whitehead and Ryan Morse collected back-to-back sacrfice flies to complete the six-run first inning outburst.

From that point, however, Furman did nothing offensively until the seventh, and in the interim the Spartans began chipping away at Paladin starting pitcher Will Gaddis, tallying single runs in the first and second, two in the fourth, and three more in the fifth after Gaddis served up a leadoff double to Hunter King and successive walks to Woody and Wright.  A two-run single by Eric Kalbfleisch off Matthew Quarles, Gaddis' replacement, tied the game at 6-6, and Wright scored the go-ahead run on a two-out throwing error by Paladin shortshop Matt Towarnicky.

The Spartans made it 8-6 on King's solo home run in the sixth.

Furman cut it to 8-7 on an Ohmstede RBI single in the seventh but stranded the bases loaded.

In the ninth Griffin Davis singled with one out and pinch runner Simmons moved to third on an Ohmstede base hit to right field before coming home on a Simpson sacrifice fly.  The Paladins' bid for more ended when Blake Chisolm lined out to shortstop to end the inning.

Bryant Stafford (2-1) picked up the win for UNCG after allowing the game tying run in the top of the ninth.  He worked the final 1 2/3 innings, yielding a walk while striking out one.

UNCG used solid long relief from Blair Betts to allow its offense time to erase Furman's early six-run lead.  He held the Paladins hitless and surrendered only an unearned run and a walk while striking out five in four innings of work.

The Spartans banged out 12 hits, including two each by King, Woodly, Kalbfleisch, and Long.  UNCG also took advantage of eight walks by Palading pitching, four of which later scored.

Ohmstede had half of Furman's six hits, going 3-for-5 with a two RBI.  Simpson drove in three runs, and Carter Grote scored twice.