University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
Long Ball Lifts Gardner-Webb over UNC Asheville
04.17.2009 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.?Gardner-Webb hit four home runs and pounded out eight extra base hits in an 12-2 victory over UNC Asheville on Friday afternoon.
Catlin Carter went 2-for-4 providing the only multi-hit game for Asheville who drops to 7-29 on the season and 4-14 in Big South play.
Devin Campbell went eight strong innings for Gardner-Webb (18-15, 7-6 Big South) to improve to 3-1 on the year. He went allowed just two unearned runs on six hits and struck out nine Asheville hitters.
UNC Asheville took advantage of a throwing error with the bases loaded in the first to plate two unearned runs. Carter and Kevin Weidenbacher led off the inning with back-to-back hits through the left side. After a fly out, Beau Zinman was hit by a pitch to fill the bases. GWU catcher Ty Boyles tried to pick Carter off third base but threw wide of the bag allowing Carter and Weidenbacher to score.
Gardner-Webb got the runs back in the bottom of the first inning. Brock Miller was hit by a pitch to lead off. After a pair of fielder's choice ground outs, Kurt Fulginiti hit his sixth home run of the season to tie the game.
GWU added three more runs in the second inning. After two were out, Miller doubled in front of a RBI-single by Daniel Cooke. Justin Loyd followed with his fifth home run of the year to make the score 5-2.
The home-standing Bulldogs put the game away with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings. With one out in the fourth, Miller was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Cook tripled, and scored on a double by Loyd. Fulginiti followed with a RBI single to bring the score to 8-2.
In the fifth, Jon Ahearn led off with a solo home run. It was his second of the year. A walk, an error, and a RBI-single by Cook plated the 10th run of the day. The third run of the inning scored on an Asheville throwing error. Lyod hit his second home run of the day to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning to round out the scoring.
The two, three, and four hitters for Gardner-Webb; Cooke, Loyd, and Fulginiti combined to go 8-for-15 with three home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored.
The bright spot in the game for Asheville was the relief work done by Jeremy Hall who came in the fifth and allowed two unearned runs on one hit in three innings. Carson McLean pitched the ninth inning allowing just the solo home run.
Ryan Dull making his first career Friday start took the loss going four innings allowing nine runs on 10 hits to drop to 3-7 on the year.
The Bulldogs had six hits in the game and only two after the fifth inning. The five through nine hitters for Asheville went a combined 1-for-19 with six strikeouts. The two teams are back at it on Saturday. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
