University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Morehead State
Morehead State Holds off Asheville Rally 7-5
03.10.2012 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -Four Morehead State players had two hits each and the Eagles took advantage of six UNC Asheville errors to post a 7-5 non-conference road victory over the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at Greenwood Field.
The visitors posted three runs in the first inning and scored two unearned runs in the second as Asheville made three errors in the inning to grab a 5-0 lead. Taylor Pickens, Andrew Deeds, Eric and Luke Bainer accounted for eight of the Eagles' 10 hits.
The Bulldogs (7-9) tried to cut into the lead but could never get any closer than the final margin. Freshman centerfielder Thomas Bess went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Blue & White. Jordan Lurie, Brilly Creighton and Hunter Bryant all had two hits for the home team.
Morehead State (8-7) jumped in front in the first inning when the Eagles got five straight hits after an opening out. Pickens tripled and came of home on Deeds single. Eric and Luke Bainer added RBI-singles in the inning to pad the lead to 3-0.
In the second, the Bulldogs made three errors that allowed two Eagles to score to make the score, 5-0.
Asheville rallied in the third to cut the lead to 5-2. Ian Graham's run-scoring single plated Bess for the Bulldogs first run of the game. Creighton singled to right field to score Graham to make it 5-2. But with runners on first and third, Morehead starter Noah Smallwood (1-1) was able to get out of further trouble by getting a double-play ball off the bat of Grant Gajdosz.
The Eagles picked up two runs in the fifth to go back up as the visitors took advantage of two more Bulldog errors to lead 7-3.
Asheville got a run back in the bottom of the frame on Lurie's sacrifice fly. But with runners on first and second, Smallwood was able to get another double-play ball to keep the Morehead lead at 7-3.
The Bulldogs got two more runs in the eighth to make it 7-5. Pinch-hitter Aaron Wright drove in a run on a fielders' choice. Hunter Bryant followed with a run-scoring double. Asheville had the bases loaded with one out but reliever Matt Cartwright was able to get infield pop-out and a fly out to keep the Eagle lead at 7-5.
Asheville got a runner to second in the ninth with two outs. Joyner sent a long fly ball to right but the ball was caught three steps from the wall for the final out of the game. The save was Cartwright's first of the season.
The teams will play the third and final game of their three-game series Sunday afternoon starting at 1 p.m.
