WILMINGTON, N.C. – Senior Mark Carver lined the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the ninth for a single to score sophomore Bobby Leeper with the winning run as UNC Wilmington trimmed Georgia State, 9-8, to complete a Colonial Athletic Association sweep of the Panthers at Brooks Field.

The Seahawks, who improved to 8-0 in 1-run games, raised their record to 26-7-1 overall and remained in first place in the CAA with a 16-1-1 mark. The Panthers saw their record fall to 18-15 and 7-10 with their fourth consecutive loss. UNCW won all three games in their last at bat in the series.

In the ninth, Leeper, who went 2-for-4 with 2 runs batted in, led off the inning with a double to left center off losing pitcher David Ferrer (2-2) and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Daniel Hargrave. After an intentional walk to senior Jason Appel to put runners at the corners, Carver gave the Seahawks the win with a single to left.

Freshman reliever Stephen Harrold (3-2) earned his second win of the weekend for the Seahawks.

GSU junior Marc Mimeault had tied the game at 8-all in the top of the ninth with a 2-out, three run homer to center off Harrold.

Junior Nick Hogan banged out a game-high three hits for the Panthers.

UNCW opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the second with a 2-run single by Leeper highlighting the outburst.

The Panthers closed to within 3-1 in the top of the third when freshman Jonathan Kolowich, who scored three runs on the game, scored on the front end of a double steal.

In the third, consecutive doubles by Carver, senior Nate Hall and freshman Cody Stanley extended UNCW’s lead to 5-1. Carver, Hall and Stanley combined to go 6-for-10 on the game with four runs scored and three driven in.

GSU was able to get one of those runs back in the top of the fourth when junior Matt Van Horn plated Mimeault, who reached on a fielding error by French at first base earlier in the inning.

Georgia State added runs in the fifth on a RBI single by senior Jean-Michel Rachon-Salvas and in the seventh when Kolowich came around to score on a Seahawk error.

UNCW doubled its lead to 8-4 with three runs in the eighth. Freshman pinch hitter David Shambley flared a double into short center field to score one and senior Justin Barefoot slammed a 2-run homer to left to complete the scoring.

Harrold replace Seahawk senior starter Jeff Hatcher in the ninth and hit Kolowich to open the inning. Kolowich moved up on catcher’s indifference and scored from second on freshman pinch hitter Mitch Rider’s single down the right field line. Harrold then hit sophomore Bradley Logan to put runners at first and second for Mimeault, who homered, his third of the season, on a full-count fastball from Harrold to tie the game.

The Seahawks wrap up their 5-game homestand on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. start against The Citadel.

 

Notes: UNCW ran its record to 15-2 at Brooks Field ... The Seahawks are now 10-3 in 1 or 2-run games ... Jeff Hatcher allowed four runs, just two earned, in a season-long outing of eight innings ... Head Coach Mark Scalf now needs nine wins to tie Bill Brooks for most wins in a career (547) ... UNCW went 8-11 with runners in scoring position on the day and advanced 13-of-18 base runners ... UNCW collected a season-high six doubles.