University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Tuesday, April 18
Asheville, N.C.
6 PM
UNC Asheville
15-21
8
vs
4
USC Upstate
16-23
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
USC Upstate
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
4
5
4
UNC Asheville
0
0
0
2
0
0
5
1
X
8
10
2
Photo by: UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville Scores Five in the Seventh to Defeat USC Upstate 8-4
04.18.2017 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The last time UNC Asheville and USC Upstate met on the baseball diamond the Spartans came from behind to protect their home turf. Tuesday night at Greenwood Field, it was the same story only a different team came out on top as the Bulldogs defeated the Spartans 8-4 off some late-inning heroics.
USC Upstate (16-23) scored the first four runs of the game, including single runs in the first and second and two more in the fourth.
From there, it was all UNC Asheville (15-21) as the Bulldogs plated two runs in the fourth, five in the seventh and a final exclamation point of a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Kyle Carruthers and Joe Tietjen got things started in the fourth as Carruthers batted in his fellow senior with a single to left-center field, driving Tietjen in from second. Earlier during Carruthers' at-bat, Tietjen swiped his 16th base of the season and the 39th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fifth all-time in program history for the category.
In the next at-bat, freshman Joe Gruszka laced a double down the left field line, swapping places with Carruthers who scored from second.
Things remained close over the next two and a half innings until the Bulldogs broke through in a big way in the bottom of the seventh.
Justin Woods started things off by drawing a four-pitch walk before Brandon Lankford was awarded first base due to a catcher's interference. Tanner Bush then laid down a great bunt and nearly beat the throw to first. Despite being out, Bush had done his job, moving Woods and Lankford to third and second.
Following a pitching change by the Spartans, Danny Wilson and Tietjen drew matching five-pitch walks to load the bases. Tietjen's walk scored Woods, pulling the Bulldogs to within one run of the Spartans.
With the bases still loaded and two outs on the board, Carmine Pagano continued his recent hot streak as he ripped a single to left-center field, driving in Lankford and Wilson. On the same play, Tietjen slid safely into third and would have been content to remain there for Carruthers to bat him in again, but the USC Upstate shortstop's throw bounced away from the third baseman. Tietjen promptly jumped to his feet and raced home to give UNC Asheville the 6-4 lead.
Carruthers then put a cap on the big inning for the Bulldogs as he singled through the left side, giving Pagano plenty of time to show off his speed as he rounded third and raced home.
Lankford put the final touch on the big offensive night as he led off the eighth by belting his team-leading seventh home run of the year over the fence in left field. The homer came on just his second pitch of the at-bat.
Four Bulldogs recorded multi-hit games Tuesday evening led by Carruthers' 2-for-4 outing that included two runs batted in and a run scored. Tietjen also went 2-for-4 and had two runs scored, giving him 131 for his career, and an RBI. Wilson and Gruszka both also had two hits in the game.
UNC Asheville relied on seven different pitchers Tuesday night. Wilson started the game and gave the Bulldogs two solid innings as did Brandon Harris who relieved him. From there, Austin Fahr, Nick Boyles, Justin Woods (3-1), Kole Harris and Eric Whitecavage all pitched one inning. Woods earned his third win of the year. Brandon Harris and Fahr both struck out two batters in the contest.
Brian Boocock started on the mound for the Spartans and earned a no-decision as he gave up five hits and two earned runs. Bryan Hathaway (2-3) was saddled with the loss as he didn't record an out in the seventh inning while giving up three earned runs and two hits.
BULLDOG BITES
MOVING ON UP: Senior center fielder Joe Tietjen continued his assault on the UNC Asheville record book Tuesday night. He scored two runs, stole a base and hit his eighth double of the season. With his two runs scored, Tietjen now has scored 131 runs in his career, a mark that has him seventh all-time and just two away from sixth. Tietjen's stolen base against the Spartans was the 16th of the season for him and the 39 of his career, moving him into sole possession for fifth all-time. His double in the bottom of the first was the 39th of his career. He is currently ninth all-time in the category and is just four away from a two-way tie for seventh.
PAGANO'S HOT BAT: Sophomore shortstop Carmine Pagano is making the most of his return from injury. He is currently riding a four-game hitting streak that has seen him tally six hits, two runs and two runs batted in.
CATCHING GREEDY RUNNERS: Tuesday night marked the fourth-straight game that the Bulldogs have caught at least one runner attempting to steal. Joe Gruszka has gunned down six runners in the span, covering Tuesday's game and the three-game road series at High Point last weekend. Justin Woods also picked off a runner that took too big of a lead at second Tuesday night.
UP NEXT
UNC Asheville will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., tomorrow for a second midweek game, this time against Tennessee. First pitch between the Bulldogs and Volunteers is slated for 6 p.m.
QUOTABLES
"This was a good win against a good USC Upstate team. We settled down after the first few innings and played very well. On the mound, the last five guys threw great and offensively we took advantage of a few extra base runners. I think a huge play in the game was Tanner Bush's catch in left-center to keep USC Upstate at four runs early in the game." – Scott Friedholm
USC Upstate (16-23) scored the first four runs of the game, including single runs in the first and second and two more in the fourth.
From there, it was all UNC Asheville (15-21) as the Bulldogs plated two runs in the fourth, five in the seventh and a final exclamation point of a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Kyle Carruthers and Joe Tietjen got things started in the fourth as Carruthers batted in his fellow senior with a single to left-center field, driving Tietjen in from second. Earlier during Carruthers' at-bat, Tietjen swiped his 16th base of the season and the 39th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fifth all-time in program history for the category.
In the next at-bat, freshman Joe Gruszka laced a double down the left field line, swapping places with Carruthers who scored from second.
Things remained close over the next two and a half innings until the Bulldogs broke through in a big way in the bottom of the seventh.
Justin Woods started things off by drawing a four-pitch walk before Brandon Lankford was awarded first base due to a catcher's interference. Tanner Bush then laid down a great bunt and nearly beat the throw to first. Despite being out, Bush had done his job, moving Woods and Lankford to third and second.
Following a pitching change by the Spartans, Danny Wilson and Tietjen drew matching five-pitch walks to load the bases. Tietjen's walk scored Woods, pulling the Bulldogs to within one run of the Spartans.
With the bases still loaded and two outs on the board, Carmine Pagano continued his recent hot streak as he ripped a single to left-center field, driving in Lankford and Wilson. On the same play, Tietjen slid safely into third and would have been content to remain there for Carruthers to bat him in again, but the USC Upstate shortstop's throw bounced away from the third baseman. Tietjen promptly jumped to his feet and raced home to give UNC Asheville the 6-4 lead.
Carruthers then put a cap on the big inning for the Bulldogs as he singled through the left side, giving Pagano plenty of time to show off his speed as he rounded third and raced home.
Lankford put the final touch on the big offensive night as he led off the eighth by belting his team-leading seventh home run of the year over the fence in left field. The homer came on just his second pitch of the at-bat.
Four Bulldogs recorded multi-hit games Tuesday evening led by Carruthers' 2-for-4 outing that included two runs batted in and a run scored. Tietjen also went 2-for-4 and had two runs scored, giving him 131 for his career, and an RBI. Wilson and Gruszka both also had two hits in the game.
UNC Asheville relied on seven different pitchers Tuesday night. Wilson started the game and gave the Bulldogs two solid innings as did Brandon Harris who relieved him. From there, Austin Fahr, Nick Boyles, Justin Woods (3-1), Kole Harris and Eric Whitecavage all pitched one inning. Woods earned his third win of the year. Brandon Harris and Fahr both struck out two batters in the contest.
Brian Boocock started on the mound for the Spartans and earned a no-decision as he gave up five hits and two earned runs. Bryan Hathaway (2-3) was saddled with the loss as he didn't record an out in the seventh inning while giving up three earned runs and two hits.
BULLDOG BITES
MOVING ON UP: Senior center fielder Joe Tietjen continued his assault on the UNC Asheville record book Tuesday night. He scored two runs, stole a base and hit his eighth double of the season. With his two runs scored, Tietjen now has scored 131 runs in his career, a mark that has him seventh all-time and just two away from sixth. Tietjen's stolen base against the Spartans was the 16th of the season for him and the 39 of his career, moving him into sole possession for fifth all-time. His double in the bottom of the first was the 39th of his career. He is currently ninth all-time in the category and is just four away from a two-way tie for seventh.
PAGANO'S HOT BAT: Sophomore shortstop Carmine Pagano is making the most of his return from injury. He is currently riding a four-game hitting streak that has seen him tally six hits, two runs and two runs batted in.
CATCHING GREEDY RUNNERS: Tuesday night marked the fourth-straight game that the Bulldogs have caught at least one runner attempting to steal. Joe Gruszka has gunned down six runners in the span, covering Tuesday's game and the three-game road series at High Point last weekend. Justin Woods also picked off a runner that took too big of a lead at second Tuesday night.
UP NEXT
UNC Asheville will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., tomorrow for a second midweek game, this time against Tennessee. First pitch between the Bulldogs and Volunteers is slated for 6 p.m.
QUOTABLES
"This was a good win against a good USC Upstate team. We settled down after the first few innings and played very well. On the mound, the last five guys threw great and offensively we took advantage of a few extra base runners. I think a huge play in the game was Tanner Bush's catch in left-center to keep USC Upstate at four runs early in the game." – Scott Friedholm
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Woods, Justin (3-1)
L: HATHAWAY, B. (2-3)
Batting:
RBI: HAWKINS, B. 1 ; SCHWERTFEGER 1
SH: ORTIZ, D. 1 ; BOURKE, J. 1
SF: HAWKINS, B. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CARPENTER, C 1 ; RAIFF, P. 1 ; BOURKE, J. 1 ; WILKINSON, D 1
SB: BRUNDAGE, B. 1
CS: BOURKE, J. 1
HBP: CARPENTER, C 1 ; BOURKE, J. 1
PO: HAWKINS, B. 1
Batting:
2B: Tietjen, Joe 1 ; Gruszka, Joe 1
HR: Lankford, Brandon 1
RBI: Tietjen, Joe 1 ; Pagano, Carmine 2 ; Carruthers, Kyle 2 ; Gruszka, Joe 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 1
SH: Bush, Tanner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilson, Danny 1 ; Tietjen, Joe 2 ; Pagano, Carmine 1 ; Carruthers, Kyle 1 ; Woods, Justin 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 2
SB: Tietjen, Joe 1
CS: Gruszka, Joe 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
p/dh
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
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