University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
La Salle
Top of Bulldog Lineup Leads Asheville Saturday Win
03.07.2015 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The top of the lineup combined for six hits on Saturday as the UNC Asheville baseball team grabbed a 2-1 victory over visiting LaSalle.
The Bulldogs (6-7) saw Tommy Houmard, Lucas Owens and Hunter Bryant each collect two hits, as the Asheville team finished with just eight hits but saw their pitching staff hold LaSalle (5-7) to just one run on nine hits.
Asheville starter Lucas Clarke earned his second win of the year following his five-inning, six-hit effort, allowing just the one LaSalle run in the third inning while stranding a pair of runners on the basepaths in the fifth inning after the Bulldogs had taken the lead.
In addition to the top three hitters in the lineup, the Bulldogs saw Joe Tietjen add a hit and an RBI, while Joe Zayatz collect the only other Asheville hit.
The Bulldogs jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Owens singled and scored moments later on Bryant's RBI double to deep left-center field. LaSalle tied things up in the top of the third inning when a leadoff single by Chase Arnold saw him come around and score later in the inning on Yan Carlo Rivera's RBI single through the left side.
Asheville used back-to-back two-out doubles to plate what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Zayatz doubled down the left field line and scored moments later on Tietjen's double into right field.
The Bulldogs saw reliever Tyler Hughes hold LaSalle to just two hits over his two innings of work before Nick Schavone earned his third save of the season with his two-inning, one hit outing out of the bullpen to wrap up the afternoon.
Joey Ravert (2-2) was saddled with the loss for LaSalle, allowing six hits and two runs in his seven-inning outing while striking out five Bulldog batters.
Asheville looks to win the series in tomorrow afternoon's rubber match, slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Zayatz is scheduled to get the start for the Bulldogs.
