University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Mercer
Bulldogs Score First But Fall to Mercer on Friday
02.23.2018 | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – Despite scoring three runs in the first inning, the UNC Asheville baseball team fell 15-4 on Friday night at OrthoGeorgia Park.
With its three runs in the first inning, the Bulldogs have out-scored their opposition 7-1 in the first frame this season.
BULLDOG BITES
Following their dominating 10-4 victory at Wofford on Wednesday, the Bulldog offense picked up right where it left off, as UNC Asheville totaled three runs off three hits in the first frame.
Leadoff man Joe Gruszka continued his work in the first inning, as the sophomore tallied a leadoff single to start the contest. The hit extended his hit streak to five games. Carmine Pagano walked, and Brandon Lankford scorched a single to left to score Gruszka from second. Following a strikeout, Chris Troost connected with a single through the left side to plate Pagano from second. Danny Wilson put the ball in play, which forced the Mercer third baseman to commit an error and make the bases loaded with one out. With its early 3-0 advantage, the Bulldogs couldn't add to the advantage.
Similar to his first start of the season at Lipscomb, Jordan Fulbright worked a fast inning, as he forced the Bears to go down in order to preserve the 3-0 lead.
Despite getting a pair of singles in the top half of the second, UNC Asheville left a runner stranded.
In the bottom of the inning, Mercer tallied a pair of runs, as it recorded three singles in a row.
After another quick inning for Asheville offensively, Mercer opened the game with five runs in the third to make it a 7-3 contest.
In the top of the fourth, Asheville had a prime advantage to plate runs with the bases loaded and one out, but two Bulldogs struck out to leave three Bulldogs stranded.
The Bears tacked on six total runs from the fourth to fifth innings to make it a 13-3 game.
After being held off the scoreboard for five innings, UNC Asheville plated a run in the seventh. The Bulldogs had the first three batters reach base, and the Mercer pitching staff eventually walked in a run to make it 13-4.
The Bears added two insurance runs in the eighth and fended off the Bulldogs for the final two innings to seal the 15-4 victory over UNC Asheville.
Gruszka posted a multi-hit game for the Bulldogs, which marks the second game of the season he has done so. Kole Harris tallied a two-hit game. The Summerfield, Fla. native has recorded three hits and three RBIs in the last two games for Asheville. Pagano, Lankford, Troost and Tyler Serricchio each tallied a hit to total Asheville's eight hits on Friday.
Mercer starter Austin Cox worked five innings and allowed seven hits. However of the 15 outs he recorded, 13 of them came by means of a strikeout. The four Bear relievers that tossed posted at least two strikeouts in their respective inning of work.
UNC Asheville was successful in advancement opportunities (10-for-29), but the team went 0-for-5 in bases-loaded situations.
With the series-opening loss, UNC Asheville drops to 2-3 overall, and Mercer moves to 4-2.
What's Next?
With heady rainfall expected to hit Macon, Ga. on Sunday, both UNC Asheville and Mercer have agreed to make Saturday a doubleheader.
The first game of the doubleheader is slated to begin at 2 p.m. at OrthoGeorgia Park, and the series finale will commence following the conclusion of the first game.
