University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Liberty
Bulldogs Fall at Liberty to Wrap Up Weekend Series
03.26.2016 | Baseball
THE RUNDOWN
Scores: Liberty 11 – Asheville 5
Teams: Asheville (5-18, 0-6 BSC)
Liberty (16-10, 3-0 BSC)
Location: Liberty Baseball Stadium / Lynchburg, VA
LYNCHBURG, VA – Homestanding Liberty posted six runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, handing UNC Asheville an 11-5 defeat on Saturday afternoon as the teams wrapped up their three-game Big South series.
THE TURNING POINT
After the Bulldogs clawed back into the game and pulled to a 7-4 deficit through four innings, Liberty responded with four runs on three hits in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
NOTABLES
-Asheville finished with nine total hits on the night, with six of those coming from Pete Guy, Joe Tietjen (2 RBIs) and Scott Kobos (double), who each had two hits. Danny Wilson and Carmine Pagano each added a hit and an RBI in the loss.
-Bulldog starter Parker Swindell was only able to record one out in the first inning, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks as he was saddled with his second loss of the season. Five relievers, led by Austin Fahr's four innings, combined to finish the afternoon.
-Asheville left 10 runners on base in the game.
-Liberty finished with 10 hits, led by three hits from D.J. Artis, while reliever Zach Helsel earned the win after tossing four innings out of the bullpen.
-Following Liberty's six-run first inning, the Flames added a single run in the second via a solo homer to extend the advantage before the Bulldogs responded. Asheville got on the board in the third inning on Wilson's bases loaded walk, but the Bulldogs left the bases loaded to end the threat. In the fourth, the Bulldogs plated three runs on three hits, highlighted by Pagano's RBI single and a two-run single from Tietjen, to cut the deficit to three runs.
-Liberty extended its lead in the sixth, scoring four runs on three hits – all run-scoring – using a pair of RBI singles and a two-run double to extend the advantage. The Bulldogs plated one run in the top of the ninth as Eric Connolly reached on a fielder's choice as Tietjen scored on a Liberty throwing error to bring the game to its final score.
UP NEXT
-Following today's loss, Asheville has a pair of upcoming midweek games. The Bulldogs will host USC Upstate next Tuesday afternoon before traveling to Tennessee on Wednesday. Asheville then hosts Presbyterian in a three-game Big South series next weekend.
