University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Hartford
Baseball Roars Past Hartford, 7-1 - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site
01.01.1970 | Baseball
March 19, 2006
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Bulldogs downed Hartford, 7-1 to complete a three-game weekend sweep of the Hawks Sunday afternoon at Greenwood Field.
The win was the Bulldogs (10-12) fifth straight and kept them perfect at home this year with a 5-0 record.
Sophomore left-hander Tim Johnson (1-3) earned his first win of the year for Asheville. He pitched eight strong innings, scattering seven hits, striking out a career-high nine batters and walking four.
The game was tied, 1-1 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. John Whited led the inning off with a double. Steve Burnich followed with a bunt single to put runners on first and third. Tony Campana was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Kevin Mattison then delivered the big hit of the game as he doubled into right field, scoring three runs and giving Asheville a 4-1 lead. Rob Vernon drove Mattison home with a run-scoring single. Kyle Smith bunted home a run for a 6-1 lead The Bulldogs scored another run on a Hartford error to put Asheville in front, 7-1.
Mattison finished the day going 3-for-4 at the plate. Johnny Martinez, Burnich and Whited all had two hits for the Bulldogs.
The game was a pitchers' duel most of the way as Hartford starter Pete Moraski and Johnson pitched very well.
The Hawks (1-10) broke on top in the third with their only run of the game. Adam Bowser walked with one out. Brady Stouffer followed with a single to right field, moving Bowser to third. Bryan Propst singled in Bowser for a 1-0 Hartford lead. Propst stole second to put runners on second and third. However, Johnson got two big strikeouts to keep Asheville within, 1-0.
The Bulldogs finally got to Moraski (0-3) in the seventh with the help of two Hawk errors. Elliott Arrington led off with a single and went to second on an error by Propst in center field. Nathan Durham bunted and beat the throw to first as the ball was dropped by second baseman Ben Sobocinski, scoring Arrington to knot the game at 1-1.
Frank Cipolla and Stouffer led the Hartford offense with two hits each.
UNC Asheville travels to Appalachian State Tuesday afternoon for a 2 p.m. game. Hartford stays in the area and plays at Western Carolina on Tuesday afternoon.
