University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
2-2
Wofford
1-3
Early Offense, Strong Bullpen Guides UNC Asheville to Dominating 10-4 Win
02.21.2018 | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team went on to win 10-4 over Wofford on Wednesday, as the Bulldogs pounded out 14 hits to go along with the bullpen only allowing one hit in seven innings of work at Russell C. King Field.
BULLDOG BITES
To make it three straight games, the Bulldogs scored a run in the first frame, as Brandon Lankford struck for a two-run home run just left of center. Carmine Pagano reached base earlier in the inning off the first hit of the game, and Lankford opened the contest 2-0 on his first home run of the season.
The Terriers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first, as they recorded a two-out, RBI double.
After a quick second inning, the Bulldogs padded their lead, as they struck for six runs off five hits. Pagano opened the frame with a solo bomb down to left field. After back-to-back hits from Lankford and Jake Madole, Chris Troost laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate the second run of the inning. Danny Wilson tallied an infield hit, which made the bases loaded. Joe Zayatz capitalized with a sacrifice bunt to make the game 6-1. With two outs, Kole Harris cranked his first homer of the season and the second of the inning, which advanced the Asheville lead to 8-1.
Wofford posted a big frame of its own, as it tallied three hits en route to three runs scoring.
Following a quick fourth inning for both squads, UNC Asheville tagged the Terriers with two more runs in the fifth. Joe Gruszka, who now rides a four-game hitting streak, cracked a RBI single with the bases loaded. Pagano followed with a sacrifice fly, which gave him his second RBI of the contest.
From the third to seventh innings, UNC Asheville pitchers Hunter Burnette, Jesse Juday, Trey Jernigan and Blake Brown combined for five innings of work. The foursome only surrendered one hit without allowing a run to score.
Burnette and Jernigan both made their collegiate debuts on Wednesday. Burnette twirled two innings and earned his first career strikeout, and Jernigan tossed a scoreless inning of work en route to a solid outing.
The Bulldogs threatened to extend their lead in the eight, but they were held off the scoreboard.
To end the game, Brandon Harris came out of the bullpen for his first appearance of the season. The sophomore ended the game by striking out the side.
Every Bulldog starter recorded at least one hit, while Pagano, Lankford, Madole and Wilson all tallied multi-hit performances. Wilson led the squad with three hits with all being singles. Pagano, Lankford and Kole Harris all contributed home runs in the game. Kole Harris, Pagano and Lankford combined for six of the team's nine RBIs on Wednesday.
The bullpen was lights out in the mid-week game. Following Burnette, Juday, Jernigan and Brown tossing, Cody Wilson and Brandon Harris held the Terriers off the scoreboard for the final two innings.
In total, the bullpen combined for seven innings, no runs, one hit and seven strikeouts.
With the six-run win, UNC Asheville moves to 2-2 on the year, while Wofford falls to 1-3.
Quotable
What's Next?
The Bulldogs travel to Macon, Ga. to start a three-game series with Mercer. The first game of the set is set to begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 at OrthoGeorgia Park.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Burnette, Hunter (1-0)
L: Clay Schwaner (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Pagano, Carmine 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 1 ; Harris, Kole 1
RBI: Gruszka, Joe 1 ; Pagano, Carmine 2 ; Lankford, Brandon 2 ; Wilson, Danny 1 ; Zayatz, Joe 1 ; Harris, Kole 2
SH: Troost, Chris 1 ; Zayatz, Joe 1
SF: Pagano, Carmine 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pagano, Carmine 2 ; Lankford, Brandon 2 ; Madole, Jake 1 ; Troost, Chris 1 ; Wilson, Danny 1 ; Zayatz, Joe 1 ; Friedholm, Andrew 1 ; Harris, Kole 1
HBP: Lankford, Brandon 1 ; Friedholm, Andrew 1 ; Harris, Kole 1
Batting:
2B: Mack Nathanson 1 ; Cody Miller 1 ; Colin Davis 1
RBI: Mack Nathanson 1 ; Cody Miller 2 ; Max McDougald 1
SF: Cody Miller 1 ; Max McDougald 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brett Rodriguez 1 ; McClain Bradley 1 ; Mack Nathanson 2
SB: Mack Nathanson 1 ; Colin Davis 1
HBP: Brett Rodriguez 1
