University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Coastal Carolina
Bulldogs Fall to Coastal in Ninth
04.19.2008 | Baseball
CONWAY, S.C.? Coastal Carolina's David Sappelt drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to give No. 19 Coastal Carolina a 4-3 victory over UNC Asheville on Friday night.
The game pitted two aces on the mound; Coastal Carolina's Bobby Gagg and Asheville's Alan DeRatt, and the matchup did not disappoint. Gagg went eight-plus innings, allowing eight hits, two earned runs and striking out seven. DeRatt went eight innings, striking out five and allowing just three hits but neither pitcher figured in the decision.
Asheville (16-25, 2-8 Big South) struck first in the fourth, plating two runs. Elliott Arrington singled with one out. After Gagg retired Justin Schumer, Danny Baatz singled to put runners on first and second. Beau Zinman then singled home Arrington. Baatz moved up to third on an error from Adam Rice. Chris Freeman then brought in Baatz with a single to right.
Asheville added a run in the fifth to lead 3-0 as Kevin Mattison led off the inning with a double and scored on an Arrington single.
Coastal (31-7, 8-2 Big South) would fight back to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tommy Baldridge broke up DeRatt's no-hitter with a double to left center. With one out, DeRatt hit David Anderson. Bortnick singled home Baldridge. It was Bortnick's fifth career hit off of DeRatt. Evan Noell walked to load the bases and Rico Noel brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to right. Scott Woodward brought in the tying run with a single to left.
Both pitchers then settled down, throwing zeroes on the scoreboard. Baatz led off the ninth with a single, but Pete Andrelczyk (3-0) would come in and strike out Zinman and Freeman and get Catlin Carter to ground out to end the inning.
Schumer (0-5) started the ninth on the hill and hit Bortnick to open the frame. Noell sacrificed Bortnick over to second and Noel singled to put runners on the
corners. Asheville intentionally walked Woodward but walked Sappelt on four pitches to end the game.
The two teams will square off on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.
