University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
East Carolina
Baseball Falls to No. 20 East Carolina, 4-2
03.10.2009 | Baseball
Story Courtesy- East Carolina Sports Information
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Jared Avchen's two-out two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning gave No. 20 East Carolina a 4-2 win over UNC Asheville Tuesday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win ECU improves to 9-2, while UNC Asheville drops to 3-10.
With the score tied at two in the eighth, the Pirates put together three consecutive hits which was capped off by Avchen's double down the left field line that plated Drew Schieber and Dustin Harrington for a 4-2 advantage. Schieber laced a two-out single to left, which was followed by Harrington's second hit of the game, a single to center setting up Avchen's at-bat.
Brad Mincey picked his third win in relief working two innings of shutout ball with two strikeouts. Starter Mike Anderson went six innings allowing two runs on five hits and fanned a career-high six batters. Seth Simmons closed the game by notching his second save of the season and fourth of his career setting the Bulldogs down in order and recording two strikeouts.
Ryan Dull (0-3) suffered the loss for UNC Asheville allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and strikeout in two innings of relief. Michael Bogaert went three innings, gave up one run on three hits with a pair of punch outs in the start. Bridging the gap between Bogaert and Dull was Grier Harrington, who surrendered one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
Beau Zinman gave the Bulldogs and early 1-0 lead in the second when he took a 2-0 offering from Anderson out to left field for his first home run of the season.
The Bulldogs extended its to 2-0 when Kevin Weidenbacher drove in Cody Buch with an RBI single up the middle in the fourth frame. Buch reached base when he stroked a two-out double down the left field line.
ECU finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on Brandon Henderson's sac fly to center that pulled the Pirates within one, 2-1. Stephen Batts, who extended his hit streak to 13 games, led off the inning with a double to left-center then swiped his seventh base of the season when he took third.
The Pirates knotted the game at two on Ryan Wood's sac fly in the seventh. Harrington led off the frame with a single up the middle then moved to second on Avchen's sac bunt. Devin Harris recorded his second base knock of the game pushing Harrington over to third, putting runners at the corner before Trent Whitehead loaded the bases on a free pass.
Both teams will be back in action tomorrow to conclude the two-game series with a first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
