GREENSBORO, North Carolina – The UNC Greensboro Spartans broke out the brooms on Sunday, sweeping the Red Foxes with a 16-4 win. Marist now stands at 5-10 (0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) while the win brings the Spartans to 15-5 (0-0 Southern Conference).

Junior Tyler Kirkpatrick led the Red Foxes going 2-for-4 with one run batted in and one walk. Freshman Anthony Lazar extended his hitting streak to two games with a 2-for-3 effort with one run scored. Marist totaled eight hits on the afternoon.

Freshman Kevin Stewart got the start and his first loss of the season, throwing one inning and giving up five runs on six hits. Junior Tyler Dearden made his first appearance of the year, pitching two innings and giving up three runs on four hits, sophomore Tony Romanelli threw one third of an inning and gave up five runs on three hits, sophomore Spencer Bunting pitched one inning and gave up no runs on two hits. Sophomore Mike Coss threw one and two third innings and gave up no runs on two hits, junior Ryan Thomas pitched one inning and gave up no runs and one hit and sophomore Thomas Henderson threw one inning and gave up one run on one hit.

Freshman Cesar Trejo led the Spartans going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Three UNC Greensboro players had three hit games and three more had two hit games. The Spartans totaled 21 hits in the game.

For the third consecutive game, the Red Foxes got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Greg Kocinski walked with two outs, followed by a single by Kirkpatrick that advanced Kocinski to second. Sophmore Nick Rybarcyzk singled, scoring Kirkpatrick and Marist was ahead 1-0.

UNC Greensboro answered back in the bottom of the inning when junior Ben Spitznagel bunted a single to lead off the inning. Sophomore Tripp Shelton followed with a triple to right, scoring Spitznagel and the game was tied 1-1. Senior L.J. Kalawaia reached on a throwing error by the shortstop that allowed Shelton to score and the Spartans held the 2-1 lead. Senior Collin Woody made it four straight batters to reach when he singled and advanced to second on the throw. Junior Dillon Stewart smacked a double to left field that scored Kalawaia and Woody, junior Ryne Sigmon singled to right, scoring Stewart and UNC Greensboro held a 5-1 lead.

In the top of the second, the Red Foxes made it two consecutive scoring innings when junior Zachary Racusin was hit by a pitch and Lazar doubled down the left field line. During the next at bat, a wild pitch scored Racusin and advanced Lazar to third and the deficit was trimmed to 5-2. Three batters later, a second wild pitch allowed Lazar to score and the Red Foxes trailed 5-3.

The Spartans added to their lead in the bottom of the second. After Dearden came on to replace Stewart on the mound for Marist, Shelton walked and Kalawaia singled to left. Shelton advanced to third and Kalawaia advanced to second on a wild pitch and Woody hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Shelton for a 6-3 lead.

In the bottom of the third, UNC Greensboro made it three straight innings with runs when Sigmon singled through the right side with one out. Two batters later, Trejo doubled down the left field line and Spitznagel followed with a single that scored Trejo and Sigmon for the 8-3 lead.

The Spartans again added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Romanelli came on to pitch for Dearden for the Red Foxes and Kalawaia singled through the right side, followed by a single by Woody. Stewart walked to load the bases and junior Jake Kusz hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Kalawaia. Stewart advanced to second and Woody to third on a wild pitch, Sigmon walked to load the bases and Moritz hit a single to right that scored Woody for the 10-3 lead. Bunting came on to pitch for Marist and Trejo singled down the left field line, scoring Sigmon and Stewart and UNC Greensboro held a 12-3 lead. Spitznagel followed with a sac fly to center that scored Moritz and the Spartans were ahead 13-3.

The bottom of the fifth saw UNC Greensboro two more runs when Kalawaia led off with a single and Woody homered to left field, his second in two days, for the 15-3 lead.

The Red Foxes got one run back in the top of the seventh followed a Spartan pitching change to start the inning. Kocinski walked with two outs and Kirkpatrick doubled that scored Kocinski to trim the score to 15-4.

In their last at bat of the afternoon, UNC Greensboro added one final run. Henderson replaced Thomas on the mound for Marist and following a foul out, Trejo jacked a solo homer to left field for the 16-4 lead.

Down by 12 runs in their last at bat, the Red Foxes tried to mount a historic comeback but were unable as they went down in order to end the game with the Spartans emerging victorious 16-4.

Up next, Marist travels to Newark, New Jersey for a game against the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM.