University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
2-8
Florida State
11-0
Bulldogs Battle But Fall to No. 5 Florida State in Series Finale
03.04.2018 | Baseball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The UNC Asheville baseball team put up a fight in the series finale on Sunday, but No. 5 Florida State sealed the 4-2 victory over the Bulldogs at Dick Howser Stadium.
BULLDOG BITES
No. 5 Florida State jumped out to an early lead, as the Seminoles plated one run in the bottom of the first. The two-out hit came off the bat of Drew Mendoza, as he connected with a RBI single up the middle.
Danny Wilson earned Asheville's first hit of the game, which was a single to left field in the top of the second. However, the next three Bulldogs went down in order to strand Wilson at first base.
UNC Asheville starting pitcher Jordan Carr kept the FSU offense in-check in the bottom of the second inning, as he forced the first three batters to go down in order.
After back-to-back quiet innings for both teams, the Bulldogs tallied their first run of the contest in the fifth frame. Andrew Friedholm connected with a double to left field, and he scored two batters later, as he took advantage of an FSU error.
With the game tied at 1-1, Florida State's offense erupted for three runs off four hits to take the 4-1 lead after the sixth frame.
Following a quick inning for both teams in the seventh, UNC Asheville tacked on its second run of the game, as Joe Zayatz drilled his first homer of the year to right field.
FSU threatened to add insurance in the bottom half of the seventh inning, but Tripp Barfield and Hunter Burnette combined to keep the Seminole offense in-check.
Down 4-2, the Bulldogs tried to attempt a comeback in the final inning of the game, but UNC Asheville went 1-2-3 to drop its sixth straight contest.
As a team, UNC Asheville tallied three hits. Zayatz recorded one of those hits, as he drilled his fourth career home run. Wilson and Friedholm each recorded a hit, as Friedholm posted the second extra-base hit of the game for the Bulldogs.
Carr had a strong outing, as he twirled 5.1 innings. He allowed six hits and struck out a pair of batters. Four Bulldog relievers - Ethan Tressler, Nick Boyles, Barfield and Burnette - combined for 2.2 innings, where the foursome only allowed two hits without allowing a run.
UNC Asheville falls to 2-8 on the year, and No. 5 Florida State moves to 11-0 overall.
What's Next?
The Bulldogs have two mid-week games, including their home opener versus ACC foe Boston College on Tuesday, March 6, at 4 p.m. at Greenwood Baseball Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: POLLOCK, A. (2-0)
L: Carr, Jordan (1-1)
S: VAN EYK, C. (1)
Batting:
2B: Friedholm, Andrew 1
HR: Zayatz, Joe 1
RBI: Zayatz, Joe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zayatz, Joe 1 ; Friedholm, Andrew 1
Batting:
2B: SWANSON, C. 1 ; APLIN, R. 1
RBI: APLIN, R. 1 ; MENDOZA, D. 1 ; FOSTER, J. 1 ; DERR, N. 1
SF: APLIN, R. 1 ; DERR, N. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SWANSON, C. 1 ; APLIN, R. 1 ; MENDOZA, D. 1 ; WELLS, S. 1
HBP: FLOWERS, J. 1
