GREENSBORO, N.C. (Interstat) — Jacob Mueller drove in five runs and the UNC Greensboro Spartans erupted for 11 runs in a marathon third inning to rout the Quinnipiac Bobcats 13-3 in nonconference baseball Friday at UNCG Baseball Stadium.

The Spartans (6-8) sent 17 batters to the plate in the decisive third, turning a 3-0 deficit into an insurmountable lead. The Bobcats fell to 2-8.

Quinnipiac had built its early lead without a hit in the first inning, capitalizing on a walk and two bunts to load the bases before a wild pitch, a groundout and an RBI double by Kyle Garbowski in the fourth accounted for all three runs.

The game turned completely in the bottom of the third. Brody Gardner led off the frame with a solo home run to left field off Quinnipiac starter Nick Balcom. After a hit batter and a walk, Mueller tied the game with a two-run double. Jake Barbour and Jacob Budzik followed with RBI singles, and a wild pitch brought home another run to make it 6-3 and chase Balcom.

Reliever Jacob Belecky struggled to find the strike zone, issuing a walk and uncorking two more wild pitches, one of which scored a run. Gardner added an RBI single, and two Quinnipiac errors – a throwing error by third baseman Peyton Vancas and a failed pickoff attempt – allowed two more unearned runs to cross the plate.

Mueller capped the historic inning with a two-run single up the middle, giving him four RBIs in the inning alone and pushing the Spartan lead to 11-3. The 11-run inning was the program’s highest single-inning output in over five seasons.

Mueller, who entered the game in a 1-for-13 slump over his previous four contests, finished 2 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. His five RBIs matched a career high.

Gardner went 2 for 3 with the home run, two RBIs, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Barbour tripled and drove in a run.

The offensive explosion made a winner of UNC Greensboro starter Noah Chapman (1-2). He worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven. Ayden West provided 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

For Quinnipiac, Garbowski was 1 for 4 with an RBI double. Luke Zeisloft drove in a run with a groundout. The Bobcats collected nine hits but stranded multiple runners early.

Quinnipiac reliever Maddex Labuda was charged with two runs in two innings of work. Ethan Freed pitched a perfect sixth inning, striking out two.

The lopsided result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which gave UNC Greensboro a 68.6% chance to win but predicted a narrow 4-3 final score.

The teams continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon.