University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Western Carolina
Season-High 20 Runs Give Bulldogs Friday Night Win
05.01.2015 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team scored 20 runs for the first time since 2008 on its way to a 20-6 win over mountain rival Western Carolina, Friday evening at Greenwood Field.
The last time Asheville (19-26) scored over 20 runs was on March 22, 2008 against Hartford. On that night the Bulldogs scored 33 runs in a 33-8 win.
Friday night against the Catamounts (18-23), the Bulldogs finished with 14 hits, including five extra base hits in the 20 run night.
Left-hander Lucas Clarke tossed two innings out of the bullpen to notch his fourth win of the season, allowing one hit and one run while striking out two batters. Bulldog starter Joe Zayatz struck out a pair of batters in his 4 2/3 innings of work, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits.
Catamount starter B.J. Nobles was saddled with the loss, falling to 4-3 on the year after allowing eight runs (seven earned) in just 1 1/3 innings of work.
The Bulldogs were led at the plate by Erik Connolly, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Three Asheville batters – Tommy Houmard, Hunter Bryant and Kyle Towles – each finished with two hits, with Towles driving in three RBI, Houmard collecting two RBI and Bryant adding an RBI of his own.
Tanner Bush and Kyle Carruthers both added triples and three RBI as well.
After surrendering a leadoff home run to shortstop Brett Pope, the Bulldogs responded with four runs in each of the first two frames. The first four batters for the Blue & White reached in the first inning with Houmard and Bryant picking up RBI singles, before Bush hit his two-run triple off the wall in right-center field.
Brett Milazzo reached on an error and Lucas Owens walked to leadoff the second inning and both scored on Houmard's second RBI single in as many inning. Bryant's 11th double of the year drove in Houmard and Bryant later scored on Bush's sacrifice fly to deep center.
Western Carolina got three back in the third. Matthew Koehler led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. The Catamounts added runs from Pope, who reached on an error, and Bradley Strong.
After the Catamounts added another run on Danny Bermundez's RBI single to right field and were threatening with runners on first and third, Bulldog head coach Scott Friedholm turned to Clarke who closed out the inning with no further damage.
Freshman Ryan Tapp came on in relief after Clarke gave up a two-out homer to Pope, which cut the lead to 8-6. After walking his first batter, Tapp struck out Kramer Ferrell to end the inning.
Six runs with two outs in the bottom of the 7th ballooned the Bulldog lead to 14-6. Connolly broke things open with a two RBI double to right center after Bryant was intentionally walked to load the bases. Towles followed with an RBI single which scored Bryant and Connolly followed after an error. Justin Woods finished off the big inning with a two-run double to deep center field.
Asheville scored six more in the eighth, highlighted by RBI singles from Towles and Michael Kelly before Carruthers delivered his pinch-hit, bases clearing triple to cap the night's scoring.
Asheville and Western continue the home-and-home series tomorrow evening in Cullowhee, N.C. with a 6:00 p.m. contest at Hennon Stadium.
