LaGrange walk-off HR puts Seahawks past Stony Brook - WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC

UNCW Press Release

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Ryan LaGrange's leadoff homer in the bottom of the 10th lifted UNCW to a 3-2 win over Stony Brook in game two of the Hughes Bros. Baseball Challenge on Friday at Brooks Field.

Trailing 2-1 in the ninth, Hunter Ridge connected on his first round tripper of the season to lead off the inning to tie the game and force extra innings.

The Seahawks improved to 5-4 with the win while the Seawolves dropped to 0-7 to open the season.

Neither starter figured in the decision despite strong outings. Mat Batts allowed one run over 6 and 1/3 innings for UNCW while striking out five. For SBU, Brandon McNitt held the Seahawks in check, allowing one run, unearned, over seven innings while fanning four.

Kelly Secrest (1-0) earned the win for UNCW while Tyler Honanhan (0-2) was tagged with the loss.

Next Up: The Seahawks host San Diego, a 5-0 winner over Gardner-Webb on Friday, at 4 p.m. on Saturday. USD also played in the NCAA tournament last season.

How it happened: LaGrange, who entered the game in the bottom of the eighth as a pinch hitter, took a strike before getting a fastball up in the zone and sending it over the fence in left for the win. It was the first career homer for the native of Wilmington.

On The Mound: Secrest struck out four in 2 and 1/3 innings. In the top of the 10th, SBU opened the frame with consecutive singles by Anthony Italiano and Brett Tenuto before Secrest ended the threat with three straight strikeouts.

Notes: For UNCW, it was their second game-winning homer in the 10th inning this season, the first came against another 2012 College World Series participant Kent State in the season opener … Stony Brook went 2-17 in RBI opportunities, the Seahawks 1-4 … UNCW pitchers held SBU hitters to 1-for-10 hitting with two out … UNCW is now 2-1 all-time against Stony Brook and 3-0 this season against teams that played in the 2012 CWS … The last season with UNCW winning games with home runs in the final inning was 2010 when Cody Stanley (Duquesne) and Ridge (Georgia State in CAA tournament).