GREENSBORO, N.C. — Appalachian State held a one-run advantage at three different times in its 2018 baseball opener and led in the seventh inning of a 10-3 road loss against UNCG on Friday night.
 
The Mountaineers (0-1) were ahead 1-0 in the fourth, 2-1 in the fifth and 3-2 in the sixth. The Spartans' third game-tying, solo homer of the night evened the score again against first-time App State starter Andrew Vaccacio in the bottom of the seventh inning, and he departed right before Cesar Trejo's two-run shot produced a 5-3 lead with one out in the seventh.
 
UNCG, which won the Southern Conference tournament and played in an NCAA Regional last season, broke Friday's game open with a five-run eighth inning.
 
"Andrew did a great job," second-year App State head coach Kermit Smith said. "We did some good things defensively, and we got a couple of big hits early. I think there's some positives to take away, no doubt. We get to the seventh inning with a lead and our starter is still on the mound. We just played a really good team, and they took advantage of a couple bad pitches."
 


The Spartans' tiebreaking homer followed a one-out throwing error that triggered a pitching change, as senior Reed Howell, senior Tristan Helms and freshman Jason Cornatzer finished the game in relief of the left-handed Vaccacio. He allowed three earned runs on four hits, struck out five batters and walked only two in 6.1 innings.
 
There were seven other newcomers in the starting lineup for the Mountaineers, who are scheduled to face the Spartans (1-0) again Saturday at 2 p.m. and conclude the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Junior shortstop Joel McDaniel went 2-for-4 with one double, one RBI, one run and one hard-hit lineout, freshman designated hitter Jason Avers reached base three times (with two walks) in four plate appearances and freshman left fielder Kendall McGowan had an RBI single one inning after he scored a run. In addition to hitting an RBI double, junior third baseman Drew Beck snagged a line drive and initiated a 5-4-3 double play with a strong defensive effort near the bag.
 
McDaniel led off the fourth inning with a line-drive single to right and scored from first on a double to the right-center gap from Beck to push App State ahead 1-0. The Spartans' first hit, Dillon Stewart's two-out homer to left, tied the game and ended Vaccacio's streak of 10 straight retired batters.
 
App State reclaimed the lead when McGowan, who had reached on a 3-2 walk, scored from second on a ground-rule double to the left-center gap by McDaniel. UNCG's second hit off Vaccacio, a pulled homer over the right-field wall from Ryan Clinch, tied the game again in the bottom of the fifth before the Mountaineers put up a run in their third straight frame.
 
Avers reached base for the third straight time by drawing his second walk, and Conner Leonard's seven-pitch walk created a one-out threat. With two away, McGowan hit a soft liner over the second baseman's outstretched glove for an RBI single that brought Avers home with the go-ahead run.
 
The Mountaineers held that one-run lead for a longer stretch, as Vaccacio retired the side in order in the sixth, but Jake Kusz's homer tied the game in the seventh and Trejo gave UNCG the lead for good two batters later.