University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
Gardner-Webb Edges Bulldogs, 4-1
03.27.2015 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb scored four times in the fourth inning and used strong pitching to defeat UNC Asheville 4-1 in a Big South Conference contest Friday evening at Moss Stadium.
The teams will play the second of their three-game series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Asheville (12-14, 1-6 BSC) was limited to five hits in the contest with Joe Tietjen leading the Bulldog attack with two hits. Kyle Towles, Eric Connolly and Tommy Houmard also had hits for the Blue & White. Houmard reached base for the 14th straight game.
Corey Randall (1-5) was the hard-luck loser for the Bulldogs. He pitched six innings, allowed seven hits, four runs and striking out six.
The game was scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Scott Johnson's RBI-single plated the first run of the game with a second run scoring on an outfield error to put the Runnin' Bulldogs (16-10, 5-2 BSC) in front, 2-0.
Tyler Best followed with a two-run single later in the inning to push the margin to 4-0.
Asheville tried to rally in the sixth. Tietjen opened the inning with a bunt single and went to second on an error. Two outs later, Houmard's RBI-single cut the lead to 4-1.
Erik Heiglestand (3-1) picked up the win for Gardner-Webb with six innings of work as he allowed just four hits and struck out eight.
Reliever Brad Haymes pitched the final three innings and allowed just one hit to earn the save.
