GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Marist baseball team dropped the middle game of a three-game set at UNC Greensboro by a score of 9-4 on Saturday.

UNC Greensboro outhit Marist by a 17-8 margin. Junior outfielder Jake Berry (South Hamilton, Mass.) and junior designated hitter Zachary Passerelle (Sparta, N.J.) each had two hits apiece. Senior first baseman Mike Orefice (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) drove in two runs.

Junior right-hander Kevin McCarthy (Malverne, N.Y.) started and took the loss for Marist, falling to 1-1 on the season. McCarthy went the first four innings, allowing 11 hits and eight runs. Sophomore left-hander Rich Vrana (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) then allowed one run over the next three innings. Vrana was followed by freshman right-hander Erik Bauer (Putnam Valley, N.Y.), who tossed a scoreless eighth with a strikeout.

UNC Greensboro scored first in the home half of the second, followed by Marist scoring on an infield error in the third. The Spartans took the lead for good with another run in their half of the third, and then broke the game open with six in the fourth. The big blows were a two-run triple by shortstop T.J. Spina, and a three-run homer by catcher Cambric Moye.

Marist clawed back in the sixth on a two-run double by Orefice, and UNC Greensboro added a run in the sixth. The Red Foxes closed out the scoring in the eighth when sophomore catcher Mark Swertfager (Katonah, N.Y.) drew a bases-loaded walk.

UNC Greensboro starter Max Povse earned the win, allowed three runs (one earned) in 5.1 innings with six strikeouts. Right fielder Christian Wolfe had five hits, and designated hitter Trevor Edwards had four hits for the Spartans.

Marist fell to 4-5; UNC Greensboro improved to 7-5. The teams will play the rubber game of their series on Sunday at 1 p.m. Senior right-hander Brett Houseal (Landisville, Pa.) is Marist's scheduled starter, and he will be opposed by left-hander Dylan Hathcock.

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