Box Score March 16, 2016 Box Score | Photo Gallery 
GREENSBORO, North Carolina - A brief lead for the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks was quickly swept aside with one swing of the bat-a grand slam to left field-as the home University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) Spartans earned an 8-2 victory in Greensboro Wednesday.
The Hawks went 4-13 on its grueling 17 game road stretch to open the season.
Senior starter Will Turley (Greensboro, Maryland) was effective for the first three innings he started, allowing just one run over the first three innings. He and four relievers conceded nine hits the entire contest, which marks only the fourth time all season that UNCG-the nation's leading team in batting average-has been held to under ten hits in a game.
"Tonight was another confidence builder." Hawks head coach John O'Neil said postgame. "UNCG is the top hitting team in the country and we again were one bad inning away from a one run game. Our pitchers did a nice job for the most part tonight."
Maryland Eastern Shore got their pair of runs in the fourth. After sophomore Jamison Trower (Chesterfield, Virginia) led off the inning with a single, senior Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania) slapped his first collegiate triple to score him. Breslin would later score on a Spartan error and the Hawks led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
But in that bottom frame, UNCG loaded the bases with nobody out, then Dillon Stewart crushed his fourth home run of the year-the grand slam to give the Spartans the lead for good.
Seven different Hawks in the starting lineup tallied one hit each. Sophomores Toby Hoskins (North East, Maryland) and Jordan Turner (Baltimore, Maryland) each pitched one inning of scoreless relief.
The Hawks now return to Princess Anne for their 2016 home and conference opener against Coppin State. A doubleheader will be played Saturday at 1:00p.m. followed by a single game at noon Sunday. Admissions to the contests are free.
"We are looking forward to getting off the road and playing at home." said O'Neil. "It had been a tough stretch, but our team is better and more prepared for MEAC play."
