University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Sunday, March 5
Asheville, N.C.
12 PM
UNC Asheville
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Iona
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Iona
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UNC Asheville
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Photo by: UNC Asheville
Bulldogs Claim Series Over Iona With 4-2 Win
03.05.2017 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – It was a near perfect day for baseball at Greenwood Field Sunday afternoon and the feeling carried over through nine innings as the UNC Asheville baseball team claimed the home-opening three-game series over Iona with a 4-2 victory.
It was a total team effort for the Bulldogs (5-5) as the offense clicked on all cylinders, the pitchers kept the Iona batters on their heels for much of the game and the Asheville defense stood firm when called upon.
Spencer Orr (1-0) pitched seven scoreless innings to earn his first decision of the year. The senior southpaw struck out four batters while scattering five hits. Freshman right-hander Kole Harris came on to pitch the final two innings, earning his first collegiate save in the process.
For Iona (3-3), starter Joe DeRosa (0-1) was saddled with the loss as he pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and two earned runs compared to just one strikeout. The Gaels utilized five different pitchers in the contest.
The action got going in the bottom of the fourth inning when reigning Big South Conference Freshman of the Week Brandon Lankford singled to right field, scoring senior Joe Tietjen from second after the Bulldogs' centerfielder stole second. Two batters later, Jake Madole grounded out to the third baseman, but not before Lankford raced home to put Asheville up 2-0.
The Bulldogs then scored a pair of insurance runs, one in the seventh and the other in the eighth, to go up 4-0.
In the seventh, Danny Wilson reached base safely on a fielder's choice as the shortstop fielded the ball and threw Lankford out at second. In the process, Carmine Pagano cruised home, setting the score at 3-0.
The eighth inning saw freshman catcher Joe Gruszka steal third after singling up the middle to lead off the frame. The Iona catcher attempted to catch the speedster stealing, but overthrew his third baseman, allowing Gruszka to race home for the Bulldogs' fourth run of the game. Thanks to a Chris Troost single through the left side two batters later, Gruszka's run was earned.
The Gaels attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the ninth, scoring two runs with just one out. But Harris and the Bulldog defense quickly shut the threat down to secure the series win.
Four Bulldogs finished the game with multi-hit outings. Tietjen and Derek Smith both went 2-for-3 at the plate with Tietjen scoring one run. Wilson and Gruszka both went 2-for-4. Wilson added an RBI and Gruszka scored a run.
Matt Byrne was the lone Gael to secure multiple hits on the day as he went 2-for-2 at the dish. Seth Hoegland had two RBIs.
BULLDOG BITES
WILSON AT THE PLATE: Over the three games with Iona, Danny Wilson led the Bulldogs' offense with a .455 batting average, going 5-for-11 at the plate with four runs batted in, two extra base knocks and one run scored. He slugged .818 for the weekend and boasted an on-base percentage of .538 as he walked twice and didn't strike out.
OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION: For the weekend, three Bulldogs scored multiple runs led by Joe Tietjen's four. Carmine Pagano scored three runs against the Gaels and Brandon Lankford scored two. Danny Wilson led the way with four RBIs and Tietjen, Jake Madole, Lankford had two RBIs each for the weekend series.
THE PITCHING CORPS: For the weekend, Asheville's pitchers combined for a 4.00 ERA and held Iona's batters to a .273 batting average. The Bulldogs combined to strike out 19 batters led by Spencer Orr, Joe Zayatz and Kole Harris all with four. In three innings of work, Brandon Harris held Iona's hitters to a .091 batting average as he gave up just one hit.
UP NEXT
Asheville is scheduled to hit the road this week for a mid-week game at Appalachian State. The game in Boone, N.C., is slated for Tuesday, March 7, at 4 p.m. Following the game against the Mountaineers, the Bulldogs will return home for a three-game, weekend series against UMBC. The series with the Retrievers will begin Friday, March 10 with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
QUOTABLES
"Today was a good baseball game as we came together as a team and performed well in all three phases. Spencer Orr was tremendous on the mound, we had clutch hitting and we played great defense in the field. Anytime you get a chance to win the series and you play as well as we did today, you walk away feeling good." - Scott Friedholm
It was a total team effort for the Bulldogs (5-5) as the offense clicked on all cylinders, the pitchers kept the Iona batters on their heels for much of the game and the Asheville defense stood firm when called upon.
Spencer Orr (1-0) pitched seven scoreless innings to earn his first decision of the year. The senior southpaw struck out four batters while scattering five hits. Freshman right-hander Kole Harris came on to pitch the final two innings, earning his first collegiate save in the process.
For Iona (3-3), starter Joe DeRosa (0-1) was saddled with the loss as he pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and two earned runs compared to just one strikeout. The Gaels utilized five different pitchers in the contest.
The action got going in the bottom of the fourth inning when reigning Big South Conference Freshman of the Week Brandon Lankford singled to right field, scoring senior Joe Tietjen from second after the Bulldogs' centerfielder stole second. Two batters later, Jake Madole grounded out to the third baseman, but not before Lankford raced home to put Asheville up 2-0.
The Bulldogs then scored a pair of insurance runs, one in the seventh and the other in the eighth, to go up 4-0.
In the seventh, Danny Wilson reached base safely on a fielder's choice as the shortstop fielded the ball and threw Lankford out at second. In the process, Carmine Pagano cruised home, setting the score at 3-0.
The eighth inning saw freshman catcher Joe Gruszka steal third after singling up the middle to lead off the frame. The Iona catcher attempted to catch the speedster stealing, but overthrew his third baseman, allowing Gruszka to race home for the Bulldogs' fourth run of the game. Thanks to a Chris Troost single through the left side two batters later, Gruszka's run was earned.
The Gaels attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the ninth, scoring two runs with just one out. But Harris and the Bulldog defense quickly shut the threat down to secure the series win.
Four Bulldogs finished the game with multi-hit outings. Tietjen and Derek Smith both went 2-for-3 at the plate with Tietjen scoring one run. Wilson and Gruszka both went 2-for-4. Wilson added an RBI and Gruszka scored a run.
Matt Byrne was the lone Gael to secure multiple hits on the day as he went 2-for-2 at the dish. Seth Hoegland had two RBIs.
BULLDOG BITES
WILSON AT THE PLATE: Over the three games with Iona, Danny Wilson led the Bulldogs' offense with a .455 batting average, going 5-for-11 at the plate with four runs batted in, two extra base knocks and one run scored. He slugged .818 for the weekend and boasted an on-base percentage of .538 as he walked twice and didn't strike out.
OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION: For the weekend, three Bulldogs scored multiple runs led by Joe Tietjen's four. Carmine Pagano scored three runs against the Gaels and Brandon Lankford scored two. Danny Wilson led the way with four RBIs and Tietjen, Jake Madole, Lankford had two RBIs each for the weekend series.
THE PITCHING CORPS: For the weekend, Asheville's pitchers combined for a 4.00 ERA and held Iona's batters to a .273 batting average. The Bulldogs combined to strike out 19 batters led by Spencer Orr, Joe Zayatz and Kole Harris all with four. In three innings of work, Brandon Harris held Iona's hitters to a .091 batting average as he gave up just one hit.
UP NEXT
Asheville is scheduled to hit the road this week for a mid-week game at Appalachian State. The game in Boone, N.C., is slated for Tuesday, March 7, at 4 p.m. Following the game against the Mountaineers, the Bulldogs will return home for a three-game, weekend series against UMBC. The series with the Retrievers will begin Friday, March 10 with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
QUOTABLES
"Today was a good baseball game as we came together as a team and performed well in all three phases. Spencer Orr was tremendous on the mound, we had clutch hitting and we played great defense in the field. Anytime you get a chance to win the series and you play as well as we did today, you walk away feeling good." - Scott Friedholm
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Orr, Spencer (1-0)
L: DeRosa, Joe (0-1)
S: Harris, Kole (1)
Batting:
RBI: Hoagland, Seth 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hansen, Stephen 1 ; Bruno, Tyler 1
SB: Bruno, Tyler 1
HBP: Hansen, Stephen 1
Batting:
RBI: Lankford, Brandon 1 ; Wilson, Danny 1 ; Madole, Jake 1
SH: Smith, Derek 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pagano, Carmine 1 ; Tietjen, Joe 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 1 ; Gruszka, Joe 1
SB: Pagano, Carmine 1 ; Tietjen, Joe 2 ; Gruszka, Joe 1
CS: Wilson, Danny 1
HBP: Pagano, Carmine 1 ; Tietjen, Joe 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
rf/1b
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
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INF
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INF
/ Baseball
LHP
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INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
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