University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Charleston Southern
Tietjen's 10th Inning RBI Single Lifts Bulldogs to Win
04.16.2016 | Baseball
THE RUNDOWN
Scores: Asheville 9 – CSU 8 (10 Innings)
Teams: Asheville (12-24, 4-7 BSC)
Charleston Southern (14-21, 2-9 BSC)
Location: CSU Ballpark / Charleston, S.C.
Sunday: LIVE STATS - TWITTER
Probables: TBD (AVL) vs. Evan Nations (So. RHP, CSU)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Joe Tietjen's two-out RBI single in the top of the 10th inning lifted UNC Asheville to a 9-8 victory over Charleston Southern on Saturday as the Bulldogs grabbed the Big South series win heading into Sunday's series finale.
THE TURNING POINT
Tietjen and Kyle Carruthers combined for seven of Asheville's 13 total hits, including driving in three runs. Four Bulldog relievers combined to allow just two runs and one walk over the final six innings while striking out four CSU batters.
NOTABLES
-Tietjen finished 4-for-6 at the plate with his game-winning RBI, while Carruthers notched three hits and drove in three runs of his own. Six other Bulldogs each had one hit, including Carmine Pagano, who added two RBI to his final stat line.
-Asheville reliever Nick Boyles earned his second win of the season after coming on and inducing a pop up to end the eighth inning before working through the ninth frame. Starter Jordan Carr did not factor in the decision, tossing four innings and exiting with a one run lead after allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits and three strikeouts. Eric Whitecavage earned his second save of the season after closing out the game in the 10th inning.
-Pete Guy's solo home run in the top of the third inning gave Asheville a short-lived lead, as CSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to jump ahead. The Bulldogs plated six runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by Carruthers' three-run double and an RBI double from Pagano, before the hosts answered again. CSU scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a solo homer, to cut the Asheville lead to one run.
-Derek Smith's RBI double in the fifth for Asheville was answered by CSU with an RBI single in the sixth before the hosts tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double to force extra innings.
-In the 10th, Guy drew a one out walk before Carruthers later singled to set up runners at first and second with two outs. Tietjen sent a 3-2 pitch into left-center field to plate Guy with what proved to be the deciding run.
-Asheville used a heads up play by catcher Andrew Friedholm to turn a double play on an attempted bunt in the bottom of the 10th before Whitecavage closed out the game with a strikeout.
UP NEXT
-Following tonight's win, the Bulldogs go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch. Asheville travels to regional rival Western Carolina on Tuesday night before returning home to Greenwood Field for a three-game weekend series with Winthrop next weekend.
