University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Sunday, April 22
Rock Hill, SC
1:00 PM
UNC Asheville
10-29, 0
3
at
4
Winthrop
20-22, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Asheville
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
6
0
Winthrop
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
X
4
10
0
Photo by: Adrian Etheridge
Bulldogs Drop Series Finale, 4-3
04.22.2018 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Despite another strong bullpen showing, the UNC Asheville baseball team fell 4-3 on Sunday to Winthrop at the Winthrop Ballpark.
BULLDOG BITES
Highlights
Winthrop took the 1-0 lead in the first frame, as Mitch Spires connected with a one-out, RBI triple to right center. UNC Asheville starting pitcher, Eric Whitecavage, kept the Eagle there, as he forced a line out and a fly out to end the inning.
For the second time in the series, UNC Asheville took the lead, as it tallied a pair of runs in the top of the second. Danny Wilson started the rally with a leadoff hit by pitch, and Chris Troost followed with a single. The Bulldog duo moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. After a line out and a strike out, Tyler Serricchio came up clutch by smacking a two-RBI single to left field.
In the bottom of the third, the Eagles regained the lead, 4-2. Tyler Halstead smacked a three-run home run, which scored teammates Spires and Dillon Morton.
One inning later, the Bulldogs retaliated and made it a one-run contest. After two fly outs, Kole Harris drew a six-pitch walk, and Brandon Lankford followed with a double to deep right center, which scored Harris and made the deficit only 4-3.
Austin Fahr, who tossed a scoreless relief outing on Saturday, worked a perfect 1-2-3 fifth inning on Sunday. The unblemished inning marked the first time in the game Winthrop did not put a runner on base.
Asheville had a prime opportunity to tie the game in the top of the sixth, as sophomore Joe Gruszka led off the frame with a triple. The triple marked just the second triple of the season for Asheville. However, the next three Bulldogs went down in order to strand the game-tying run at third base.
After scoreless seventh and eighth innings for both squads, UNC Asheville was given one more chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth. The Bulldogs couldn't capitalize in the final frame though, as all three Bulldogs flew out to give Winthrop the one-run victory.
The bullpen was once again very strong, as four Bulldogs – Cody Wilson, Fahr, Beau Nichols and Trey Jernigan – combined for 5.1 scoreless innings of relief. Cody Wilson twirled 1.1 frames, and Fahr didn't allow a hit, run or walk in his second straight relief appearance. Nichols and Jernigan rounded out the game for Asheville, as the freshmen right-handed pitchers didn't allow a run or walk.
Offensively, UNC Asheville grinded out six hits with Lankford leading the way. The sophomore tallied a double and a single to go along with a RBI. Serricchio had a clutch hit in the second inning, which was a two-RBI single. Gruszka rounded out the extra-base hits for the Bulldogs, which was a triple, and Greg Gasparro and Troost each smacked a single to total the six Bulldog hits on Sunday.
UNC Asheville falls to 10-29 overall and 5-13 in the Big South Conference, and Winthrop moves to 20-22 on the year and 12-6 in league play.
What's Next?
UNC Asheville will play two mid-week games, which includes a road trip on Tuesday, April 24, to Appalachian State and a home contest versus N.C. Central on Wednesday, April 25. Tuesday's game is slated to begin at 5 p.m., and Wednesday's contest will begin at 6 p.m.
BULLDOG BITES
Highlights
Winthrop took the 1-0 lead in the first frame, as Mitch Spires connected with a one-out, RBI triple to right center. UNC Asheville starting pitcher, Eric Whitecavage, kept the Eagle there, as he forced a line out and a fly out to end the inning.
For the second time in the series, UNC Asheville took the lead, as it tallied a pair of runs in the top of the second. Danny Wilson started the rally with a leadoff hit by pitch, and Chris Troost followed with a single. The Bulldog duo moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. After a line out and a strike out, Tyler Serricchio came up clutch by smacking a two-RBI single to left field.
In the bottom of the third, the Eagles regained the lead, 4-2. Tyler Halstead smacked a three-run home run, which scored teammates Spires and Dillon Morton.
One inning later, the Bulldogs retaliated and made it a one-run contest. After two fly outs, Kole Harris drew a six-pitch walk, and Brandon Lankford followed with a double to deep right center, which scored Harris and made the deficit only 4-3.
Austin Fahr, who tossed a scoreless relief outing on Saturday, worked a perfect 1-2-3 fifth inning on Sunday. The unblemished inning marked the first time in the game Winthrop did not put a runner on base.
Asheville had a prime opportunity to tie the game in the top of the sixth, as sophomore Joe Gruszka led off the frame with a triple. The triple marked just the second triple of the season for Asheville. However, the next three Bulldogs went down in order to strand the game-tying run at third base.
After scoreless seventh and eighth innings for both squads, UNC Asheville was given one more chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth. The Bulldogs couldn't capitalize in the final frame though, as all three Bulldogs flew out to give Winthrop the one-run victory.
The bullpen was once again very strong, as four Bulldogs – Cody Wilson, Fahr, Beau Nichols and Trey Jernigan – combined for 5.1 scoreless innings of relief. Cody Wilson twirled 1.1 frames, and Fahr didn't allow a hit, run or walk in his second straight relief appearance. Nichols and Jernigan rounded out the game for Asheville, as the freshmen right-handed pitchers didn't allow a run or walk.
Offensively, UNC Asheville grinded out six hits with Lankford leading the way. The sophomore tallied a double and a single to go along with a RBI. Serricchio had a clutch hit in the second inning, which was a two-RBI single. Gruszka rounded out the extra-base hits for the Bulldogs, which was a triple, and Greg Gasparro and Troost each smacked a single to total the six Bulldog hits on Sunday.
UNC Asheville falls to 10-29 overall and 5-13 in the Big South Conference, and Winthrop moves to 20-22 on the year and 12-6 in league play.
What's Next?
UNC Asheville will play two mid-week games, which includes a road trip on Tuesday, April 24, to Appalachian State and a home contest versus N.C. Central on Wednesday, April 25. Tuesday's game is slated to begin at 5 p.m., and Wednesday's contest will begin at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: WILLCUTT, DANIEL (3-3)
L: Boyles, Nick (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Lankford, Brandon 1
3B: Gruszka, Joe 1
RBI: Lankford, Brandon 1 ; Serricchio, Tyler 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilson, Danny 1 ; Troost, Chris 1 ; Harris, Kole 1
HBP: Wilson, Danny 1
Batting:
2B: SPIRES, MITCH 1 ; WATSON, RYAN 1
3B: SPIRES, MITCH 1
HR: HALSTEAD, TYLER 1
RBI: SPIRES, MITCH 1 ; HALSTEAD, TYLER 3
SH: WATSON, RYAN 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SULLIVAN, JAKE 1 ; SPIRES, MITCH 1 ; MORTON, DILLON 1 ; HALSTEAD, TYLER 1
SB: SULLIVAN, JAKE 1
HBP: SULLIVAN, JAKE 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
Left-Handed Pitcher
/ Baseball
Left-Handed Pitcher/Outfielder
/ BaseballCatcher/Utility
/ Baseball
Utility/Right-Handed Pitcher
/ Baseball
Right-Handed Pitcher
/ BaseballInfielder
/ Baseball
Right-Handed Pitcher
/ BaseballCatcher/Infielder
/ BaseballInfielder
/ Baseball
Right-Handed Pitcher
/ Baseball
Infielder/Right-Handed Pitcher
/ Baseball
Utility/Right-Handed Pitcher
/ BaseballHighlights || Baseball || UNC Asheville vs Presbyterian (Game 3)
Tuesday, May 28
Highlights || Baseball || UNC Asheville at Presbyterian (Game 2)
Tuesday, May 28
Highlights || Baseball || UNC Asheville at Presbyterian (Game 1)
Tuesday, May 28
Highlights || Baseball || UNC Asheville vs Gardner-Webb (Game 3)
Monday, May 13