University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Radford
Bulldogs Falter Late Against Radford
05.14.2015 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team jumped ahead of No. 23 Radford on Thursday night, but saw the visiting Highlanders score four runs in the sixth inning as they grabbed a 6-2 win in the series opener over the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs (21-32, 5-16 Big South) tied the score in the bottom of the first on Erik Connolly's RBI single, but left the bases loaded to end the inning. Asheville then took the lead in the third on an RBI double by Connolly to take a 2-1 lead.
Radford (37-14, 18-4 BSC) responded in the sixth inning, plating four runs on five hits to regain the lead and didn't look back.
Connolly and Joe Tietjen each finished with two hits to pace the Bulldog offense, while Hunter Bryant extended his reached base streak to 32 games with his single in the first inning.
Asheville starter Joe Zayatz was the game's tough luck loser, falling to 3-7 on the year after tossing 5 1/3 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Radford jumped on the board in the top of the first inning, using a sacrifice fly to plate the game's opening run. Asheville responded in the bottom of the frame, using Connolly's double to bring home Tommy Houmard, who had walked earlier in the inning. The Bulldogs went on to load the bases, but Radford starterMichael Boyle (W, 9-2) was able to end the threat with a strikeout to end the frame.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the third when Bryant walked and scored on Connolly's RBI double to deep right-center field.
Radford knotted the score with a leadoff homer in the top of the sixth before adding three more runs on three singles and a double later in the frame. The visitors notched the game's final run in the eighth, using a leadoff single and a RBI triple into the right-center field gap.
The teams continue the series on Friday afternoon, with a scheduled 6 p.m. start time. Prior to the game, Asheville will honor its eight seniors, and all fans coming to tomorrow's game receive UNC Asheville logo stickers as part of Senior Day presented by Clean Environments.
