University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Ohio
Ohio Holds off Bulldogs in First Game, 14-12
02.14.2015 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ohio scored 13 runs in the sixth and seventh innings and that was just enough to hold off a determined UNC Asheville comeback as the Bobcats recorded a 14-12 first game victory over the Bulldogs.
The second game was scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
Ohio (2-0) was led at the plate by Garrett Black and John Adryan with four hits each. The Bobcats pounded out 18 hits in the game contest and took advantage of five Bulldog errors.
The Bulldogs got a career-high four hits from catcher Lucas Owens and he drove in three runs. Hunter Bryant hit a two-run homer for Asheville. Tommy Houmard had three hits, while Pete Guy came off the bench with two hits and three RBIs.
But it almost wasn't enough as Asheville scored three times in the ninth inning and had the winning run at the plate before Bobcat reliever Jake Miller got Tommy Houmard to fly out to deep left field to end the game.
The win went to Ohio starter Connor Sitz (1-0) who pitched the first five innings and allowed just one run on three hits.
The Bobcats scored nine runs in the sixth inning to lead 10-1. Asheville countered with five runs in the bottom of the frame. Owens and Guy had run-scoring singles for the Blue & White.
Ohio came right back with four runs in the seventh to push the margin back to 14-6. Nate Squires had a two-run single for the key hit of the inning.
Trailing 14-6, the Dogs began their rally in the bottom of the seventh. Bryant's two-run homer cut the lead to 14-8. Owen added a run-scoring single to make it 14-9.
Asheville reliever Spencer Orr quieted the Ohio bats and kept the Bulldogs in the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
In the bottom of the ninth, Asheville used some clutch two-out hits to get even closer. Guy's two-run single made it 14-11. Kyle Carruthers added an RBI-single to close to 14-12 before the Bobcats closed the game out.
