University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
North Carolina
Bulldogs Stun No. 11 North Carolina
04.06.2016 | Baseball
THE RUNDOWN
Score: Asheville 3 – North Carolina 2
Teams: Asheville (8-22, 2-7 BSC)
North Carolina (21-8, 6-6 ACC)
Location: Boshamer Stadium / Chapel Hill, N.C.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Joe Tietjen's diving catch in center field with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth doubled off the North Carolina baserunner and gave UNC Asheville its biggest win in the Scott Friedholm era with a 3-2 Bulldog victory over the 11th-ranked Tar Heels in Chapel Hill on Wednesday night.
THE TURNING POINT
Joe Tietjen gave the Bulldogs the lead with his first inning RBI groundout and ended the night with his full extension diving catch in center field after Carolina loaded the bases with a pair of walks and an error with one out and the middle of the lineup coming to the plate for the Tar Heels.
NOTABLES
-Pete Guy led the Bulldog offense with two hits, while Tietjen and Scott Kobos each had a hit and RBI in the win. Carmine Pagano and Kyle Carruthers also had hits for Asheville. Guy also drew a walk to up his season total to 37 base on balls as he continues to lead the nation in that category.
-Both teams finished with six hits in the game, with the Bulldog defense and pitchers stranding 10 Carolina runners on base throughout the night.
-Starter Danny Wilson earned his first collegiate win with three innings of one-hit baseball, while Asheville used six total pitchers in the game, including weekend starters Jordan Fulbright (1 1/3 innings relief) and Jordan Carr, who earned his first collegiate save.
-Asheville jumped on the board in the top of the first inning when Pagano opened the game with a leadoff single and Guy delivered a double down the left field line to set the Bulldogs up. Tietjen's one-out groundout brought in Pagano to give the visitors the lead.
-The Bulldogs added to the lead in the third inning when Pagano was hit by a pitch and reached base with one out and came around to score on Wilson's fielder's choice ground ball.
-In the sixth, Asheville used a leadoff walk by Wilson to up the lead to three runs thanks to Kobos' RBI single before the Bulldogs stranded two men on base to end the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Carolina loaded the bases with three consecutive one-out walks before getting on the board with a RBI sacrifice fly. The Tar Heels followed that up with an RBI double before Bulldog reliever Eric Whitecavage induced a fly out to Tietjen in center field to end the threat and strand two Carolina runners on base.
-Fulbright came on to strand two Carolina baserunners in the bottom of the seventh and then stranded two more runners in the eighth frame to set up the ninth inning.
-In the ninth, Tietjen came to the mound and faced one batter (a leadoff walk) before exiting back to the outfield as Carr came into the game. A sacrifice bunt by Carolina moved the tying run to second base before a walk gave the Tar Heels a pair of baserunners. Carolina loaded the bases with an awkward bouncing ground ball deflected off Pagano's glove to set up the bases loaded, one out situation and Tietjen's play.
QUOTABLES FROM HEAD COACH SCOTT FRIEDHOLM
On the game – “Our pitchers did a great job minimizing extra-base hits. We made the big defensive play when we needed it and came up with three big hits. We competed with a really good baseball team tonight and came out with a good win for this program.”
UP NEXT
-Following tonight's win, the Bulldogs return home this weekend to host North Carolina Central, with the teams scheduled for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m. and a single game on Sunday.
