GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Blake Shelton went 3-for-4, homered, and drove in four runs to power UNCG to a 12-8 victory over Furman in Southern Conference Baseball Tournament winner's bracket action Saturday afternoon at Fluor Field.
The win puts the Spartans (34-21) into Sunday's noon championship game while Furman (31-27) will now face the winner of Saturday afternoon's Samford vs. ETSU matchup in a 7:00 p.m. elimination game.
UNCG raced to an early 6-0 lead, jumping on Paladin starter Matthew Quarles for a pair of first inning runs after only two pitches. After Ben Spitznagel lined Quarles' first pitch of the game into right field for a single, Shelton followed with a two-run home run to left field.
The Spartans tallied four more runs in the second on the strength of five consecutive singles, including Shelton's two-run base knock to center field that put a wrap on the frame and gave UNCG a 6-0 advantage.
The Paladins starting chipping away in the fourth, using a Jason Costa two-run home run over the Green Monster in left field to get on the board, and pulling to within 6-4 in the fifth when Cameron Whitehead lofted a ball into right center field that carried out of the park for a two-run shot, his second round tripper of the tournament.
UNCG responded with three runs in their turn in the fifth. Andrew Moritz, who failed to get down a pair of sacrifice bunt attempts following a leadoff double, followed up by skying a 2-2 Quarles offering into right field and over the fence for a two-run clout. The Spartans added another run to stretch the advantage to 9-4.
Furman wasn't done, however, as the Paladins posted a four-spot in the sixth to chase UNCG starting pitcher Dan Loats and make it a 9-8 game.
Will Gaddis, who threw five innings to get the win in Furman's 13-3, opening game win over Wofford, was summoned to begin the bottom of the sixth, and he delivered two scoreless innings of work.
The Paladins had a chance in the eighth, getting a leadoff single from Sky Overton and hit batsman but couldn't capitalize as Spartan reliever Jack Maynard struck out Costa to end the threat.
The Spartans added three big insurance runs in the ninth, two of which were unearned following a throwing error.
Loats (8-2) used the early run support to collect the victory while Maynard checked Furman's comeback bid over the final 3 2/3 innings to earn his third save of the year, allowing just one hit and walking two while notching four strikeouts.
Quarles (6-5) absorbed the loss.
UNCG registered 15 hits and Furman 13.
The Paladins were paced by Jake Crawford's 3-for-5 performance while Overton, Whitehead, and Richards tallied two hits apiece.
Hunter Reid, Furman Sports Information
