ETSU Out Slugs Bulldogs 14-7 - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site

May 2, 2006

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Steve Burnich tied a school record with three doubles and Rob Vernon drove in four runs including his fifth home run of the year but it was not enough as East Tennessee State defeated UNC Asheville 14-7 at McCormick Field on Tuesday night.

East Tennessee State (23-21) jumped in front in the second inning with two unearned runs. C.J. Lee led off by reaching on an error. Matt Traylor followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third.

Michael Courtney delivered a sacrifice fly to drove in Lee for a 1-0 Buc lead. Justin Aughey singled to center to plate Traylor and a 2-0 ETSU lead.

The Bulldogs (19-27) got a run back in the bottom of the third. Joe Pellington led off with a double. Two outs later, Kevin Mattison's run-scoring single scored Pellington to cut the lead to 2-1.

The Buccaneers took advantage of a strikeout wild pitch to score three runs in the fourth inning. With two outs, Ben Allen swung and missed and struck out but the ball got past catcher John Whited for a wild pitch and Allen was safe at first. A single from Courtney put runners on first and second. Aughey then doubled off the right-field wall to score two runs and increase the ETSU lead to 4-1. Chuck Hargis singled to center to score Aughey to a 5-1 lead.

The Buccaneers added a solo run in the fifth on a run-scoring triple from C.J. Lee.

East Tennessee State put the game away in the seventh inning with five runs. The big blow of the inning was a three-run double from Courtney as the Bucs led 11-1.

The Bulldogs rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Henson reached on an error and then came home on Burnich's second double of the night. Mattison doubled to put runners on second and third. Vernon followed with a long home run over the center-field wall to cut the lead to 11-5.

The Bucs made it 12-5 with a run in the eighth. Douglas led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on a RBI single by Church. Church had four RBI in the final three innings of the game.

Asheville scored two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. After a lead off walk to Pellington, Burnich hit his third double of the game to put runner at second and third. Burnich's three doubles tied a school record held by a number of players. The last to accomplish the feat was Charles Pippitt during the 2004 season.

Vernon got his fourth RBI on a fielder's choice and Elliott Arrington followed with a RBI single to make the score 12-7.

ETSU scored the final two runs of the game in the top of the ninth inning. After Aughey reached on a fielder's choice, Hargis lined a ball to right field which was played into a two-base error to put runners at second and third. Church delivered a two-RBI single to make the final score 14-7.

Tony Lombardi (2-7) got the split-game victory going three innings giving up one run on four hits. The Bucs used seven pitchers in the game.

Graham Baughn suffered the loss to drop to 3-2 on the season. He went five innings giving up six runs, four earned, on nine hits.

UNC Asheville entertains Campbell University Friday night at McCormick Field starting at 8 p.m.