Seahawks Complete Sweep - UNCW Takes Three Game Set From NY Tech

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Senior Jes Snyder had four hits and Jeff Hatcher, right, held New York Tech to four hits over seven innings, as 27th-ranked UNC Wilmington completed a 3-game sweep of the Bears with an 8-2 win on Sunday at Brooks Field.

The Seahawks, winners of their last four-in-a-row, improved to 33-9-1 while the Bears, who dropped their last four, fell to 12-23-1 on the season.

Hatcher (4-0) halted a string of four starts without a decision to remain undefeated on the season. In seven innings, he walked just one and struck out four.

Sophomore Andrew Guarrasi (3-3) allowed seven runs, six earned, on 12 hits and seven walks for the Bears. NYT walked nine batters on the afternoon.

Snyder drove in two and scored twice while setting a career-high with four hits and lifting his season batting average to .336.

Senior Tom Leoninck led Tech with two hits. Only six Tech base runners reached as far as second base on the afternoon.

UNCW erupted for two runs on four hits in the bottom of the first with senior Jason Appel knocking in sophomore Bobby Leeper, who led off with the first of his two doubles on the game, and senior Daniel Hargrave, who singled earlier, came across on a ground ball double play.

In the second, UNCW loaded the bases with two outs following an infield hit by Appel. Guarrasi tossed a wild pitch allowing Snyder, who singled to lead off the inning, to score and give UNCW a 3-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles in the fourth by senior Mike LaLuna and freshman Effrey Valdez got the Bears on the board at 3-1.

Sophomore Mike Rooney laced a 2-out RBI single to left in the fifth giving UNCW a 4-1 advantage.

Tech answered in the top of the sixth when junior Denton Neill tripled to the left center field gap and scored on a sacrifice fly by LaLuna.

Hargrave walked to lead off the sixth for UNCW and moved around to third on a throwing error on an attempted pickoff by the catcher and a fielding error on the same throw by the right fielder. Appel scored Hargrave with a ground out to push UNCW's lead to 5-2.

The Seahawks continued to add to their lead with two runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth. Snyder tripled in Barefoot, who walked to lead off the inning, and scored on freshman pinch hitter Alex Hill's single to right in the seventh. In the eighth, Snyder capped the scoring with a RBI single to make it 8-2.

UNCW continues its 9-game homestand on Tuesday when they host rival East Carolina. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Notes: The Seahawks improved to 20-2 at Brooks Field this season ...Mark Carver's bunt single in the first inning extended his hitting streak to a career-long 12 games ... UNCW got its leadoff hitter on base in all eight innings ... The Seahawks improved to 11-4 against left-handed starters ... Jeff Hatcher needed just 88 pitches in his seven innings ... UNCW pitchers allowed just four runs, three earned, in the final 23 innings of the series (1.17 ERA).

- Courtesy UNCW Sports Information : Photo-Calvin McGowan

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT