University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
VMI
Bulldogs Take Series Finale 9-4 at VMI
03.22.2009 | Baseball
LEXINGTON, Va.?Beau Zinman hit a two-run home run and Ryan Dull picked up his first victory of the season as UNC Asheville defeated VMI, 9-4, Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three game series.
Dull earned his first collegiate victory throwing six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out five Keydets. Grier Harrington pitched the final three innings allowing one run on four hits for his first career save.
The victory snaps a nine-game losing streak for the Bulldogs who move to 4-17 overall and 2-6 in Big South play. VMI suffers its first conference loss falling to 10-11 overall and 4-1 in the conference.
Both teams scored single runs in the second inning. Walks to Derrick Hopkins and Mike Vaughn got the Asheville half of the inning started. Jonny Eaker singled home Hopkins to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the series.
VMI tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Sam Roberts doubled to lead off and scored on a RBI single by Jacob Morley. The Keydets took the lead in the fourth inning on a triple by Alex Haitsuka that scored Justin Topping from first base.
The Bulldogs took the lead for good with four runs in the top of the fifth. Eaker reached on a throwing error to begin the rally. Danny Baatz singled through the left side to put runners at first and second with one out. Kevin Weidenbacher, who had two hits in the game, doubled home both runners to put Asheville up 3-2. After a ground out, Zinman connected on his third home run of the year to make the score 5-2.
In the sixth, Austin Graham led off with a double and scored an unearned run on a VMI throwing error that allowed Eaker to reach base.
Asheville plated three more unearned runs in the seventh. Weidenbacher reached on an error to start the inning and moved to second base. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to third base, Zinman laid down a squeeze bunt to score Weidenbacher. Reed Kreiser was hit by a pitch and Graham picked up his second hit of the game. Vaughn came through with a two-RBI double to move the score to 9-3.
VMI scored the final run of the game on a bases loaded walk to Toppings that pushed across A.J. Yoder. Harrington then struck out Haitsuka to end the inning.
Jeremy Brown took the loss for the Keydets dropping to 1-4. He went five innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits.
Asheville returns to action on Tuesday as it travels to East Tennessee State for a 7 p.m. game.
