University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Liberty
Bulldogs Advanced to Big South Championship Game - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site
01.01.1970 | Baseball
May 27, 2006
CONWAY, S.C. - No. 6 seeded UNC Asheville advanced to the Big South Conference championship game for just the second time in its history with a 4-1 victory over Liberty.
UNC Asheville will make its first Big South Championship game appearance since 1991 later today against either Winthrop or Liberty.
The Bulldogs scored single runs in the first, second, and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead.
Matt Henson had a one-out single in the first inning and moved to third after a Elliott Arrington single and a fly out to deep right field. Rob Vernon laid down a bunt and beat out the throw to first to allow Henson to score the first run of the game.
In the second, Charles Pippitt worked a lead off walk and was sacrificed to second base. He moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Kyle Smith. The Bulldogs added a run in the fourth as Vernon led off with a double. He went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by John Whited to make the score 3-0.
Liberty got a run back in the bottom of the fourth. Phillip Laurent lined a double off the wall that scored Michael Just from second base. The Bulldogs threw out Aaron Grijalva at the plate on the play to maintain a two run lead.
The game was halted in the top of the eighth inning after Pippitt lined a two-double. Whited came to the plate as play continued on Saturday afternoon. Phillip Thompson got Whited to strike out to end the threat.
Asheville got an insurance run in the ninth. Kyle Smith worked a lead off walk and was sacrificed to second base where he scored on a single by Henson.
Ben Buchanan pitched the final 2.1 innings for his sixth save of the season. Graham Baughn got the win after going 6.1 innings giving up one run on three hits on Friday night.
The win was Asheville's first ever victory over Liberty in tournament play. The championship game will begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the Liberty/Winthrop game that begins at 2:15 p.m.
