University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Sunday, February 16
Birmingham, AL
2 PM
UNC Asheville
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Samford
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H
E
UNC Asheville
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Samford
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2
Douglas’ Strong Start; Dunn’s Three Hits Not Enough as UNC Asheville Drops the Finale to Samford
02.16.2020 | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – UNC Asheville baseball dropped the finale of their three game set versus Samford by a score of 7-4 Sunday afternoon at Griffin Field.
Freshman Ryan Douglas got the start for the Bulldogs as he shined in his collegiate debut. The right-handed pitcher threw 5.2 innings of five hit, two run ball while punching out three and allowing only two base on balls. Junior Sebastian Dunn picked up three hits for the Bulldogs from the number two spot in the order. The switch-hitting shortstop reached base six times in his first weekend series with the Bulldogs.
After the Bulldogs went three up and three down in the top of the first, Douglas pitched out of a jam in the bottom half after allowing two hits. Towns King hit a one out double for Samford but he was erased trying to steal third as Bulldog catcher MJ Lucas fired a strike to third to catch King stealing. After allowing a single to the number three batter, Douglas got the Samford cleanup hitter to fly out to left to end the inning.
Douglas allowed another one out double in the second but pitched around it once again without allowing the runner to touch home to keep the game tied at zero. Douglas settled in after that as he sent down 11 straight batters not allowing another hit until the sixth inning.
UNC Asheville got into the Samford bullpen in the fifth inning and subsequently got their first lead-off baserunner of the game as Easton Jones drew a walk to start the inning. Chris Troost got the Bulldogs' first hit of the game as he singled through the left side to put Bulldog runners on first and second with no outs. UNC Asheville opted to try and push across the first run of the game by playing a little small ball with no one out and a scoreless game. Lucas laid down a sacrifice bunt to the left side that put Bulldog runners on second and third with one out. After a Grayson Preslar strikeout, Wade Chandler walked to load the bases with Bulldog lead-off hitter Greg Gasparro due up with two outs. Gasparro found himself in an 0-2 hole and battled back to even the count but ultimately grounded out to the Samford shortstop who flipped to second for the force out, ending the Bulldog threat.
A Samford hit and Douglas' first two walks of the game loaded the bases for the home team in the sixth with two outs. The freshman right hander was looking to once again pitch out of a jam as he had Samford catcher, Kaden Dreier, in a two strike hole but Dreier responded with a two out single up the middle that scored the first two runs of the game as Samford took the 2-0 lead.
Ethan Tressler relieved Douglas with two outs in the sixth and walked the first batter he saw to once again load the bases. Tressler limited the damage to just the two runs as he sent down Ryan Crocket on strikes to end the Samford rally with the bases loaded.
After allowing four more runs in the bottom of the seventh, UNC Asheville went into the eighth inning down 6-0 with the top of the Bulldog lineup coming up. After Gasparro grounded out to start the inning, Sebastian Dunn got his second hit of the game as he singled to center field. Dominic Freeberger followed that up with a single to right to put Bulldogs on first and second. Lankford reached on a fielders' choice as Samford forced Dunn out at third. The number five hitter, Jones, singled to right for his first hit of the game to load the bases for the Bulldogs.
Troost came up to bat with two outs and the bases load and responded with the biggest hit so far in the game for the Bulldogs as he singled down the left field line to score UNC Asheville's first two runs of the game. Lucas drew a two out walk to load the bases again for the Bulldogs to bring pinch hitter Will Barbour to the plate. Barbour fouled off a two strike pitch that was ruled catchers' interference as the end of Barbour's bat caught the mitt of the Samford catcher. That continued the Bulldogs' inning as Jones scored their third run of the inning.
UNC Asheville's two out rally continued as Chandler stepped up to the plate as the potential go-ahead run and drew another Bulldog walk, this time with the bases loaded to push across UNC Asheville's fourth run of the inning. Gasparro was up to bat next with the tying run in scoring position but couldn't capitalize as he ended the Bulldogs' rally with a strikeout.
After Samford scored a run in their half of the eighth, UNC Asheville entered the ninth down 7-4 with their two, three and four hitters due up in the order. Dunn picked up his third hit of the game as the switch hitting junior doubled down the right field line to lead-off the inning. Freeberger followed that up with an infield single to the third baseman. Lankford just missed on tying the game as he flew out to the right field warning track for the Bulldogs' first out of the inning.
Jones came up to bat with runners on first and third but was sent down on strikes by the Samford closer. Troost, who had already delivered one of the biggest hits of the game for the Bulldogs, was the last hope for UNC Asheville but Samford's powerful right hander got the Bulldog second baseman to pop up to end the game.
UNC Asheville will return to the field, Wednesday, February 19, as they take on the Wofford Terriers in Spartanburg, S.C.
Freshman Ryan Douglas got the start for the Bulldogs as he shined in his collegiate debut. The right-handed pitcher threw 5.2 innings of five hit, two run ball while punching out three and allowing only two base on balls. Junior Sebastian Dunn picked up three hits for the Bulldogs from the number two spot in the order. The switch-hitting shortstop reached base six times in his first weekend series with the Bulldogs.
After the Bulldogs went three up and three down in the top of the first, Douglas pitched out of a jam in the bottom half after allowing two hits. Towns King hit a one out double for Samford but he was erased trying to steal third as Bulldog catcher MJ Lucas fired a strike to third to catch King stealing. After allowing a single to the number three batter, Douglas got the Samford cleanup hitter to fly out to left to end the inning.
Douglas allowed another one out double in the second but pitched around it once again without allowing the runner to touch home to keep the game tied at zero. Douglas settled in after that as he sent down 11 straight batters not allowing another hit until the sixth inning.
UNC Asheville got into the Samford bullpen in the fifth inning and subsequently got their first lead-off baserunner of the game as Easton Jones drew a walk to start the inning. Chris Troost got the Bulldogs' first hit of the game as he singled through the left side to put Bulldog runners on first and second with no outs. UNC Asheville opted to try and push across the first run of the game by playing a little small ball with no one out and a scoreless game. Lucas laid down a sacrifice bunt to the left side that put Bulldog runners on second and third with one out. After a Grayson Preslar strikeout, Wade Chandler walked to load the bases with Bulldog lead-off hitter Greg Gasparro due up with two outs. Gasparro found himself in an 0-2 hole and battled back to even the count but ultimately grounded out to the Samford shortstop who flipped to second for the force out, ending the Bulldog threat.
A Samford hit and Douglas' first two walks of the game loaded the bases for the home team in the sixth with two outs. The freshman right hander was looking to once again pitch out of a jam as he had Samford catcher, Kaden Dreier, in a two strike hole but Dreier responded with a two out single up the middle that scored the first two runs of the game as Samford took the 2-0 lead.
Ethan Tressler relieved Douglas with two outs in the sixth and walked the first batter he saw to once again load the bases. Tressler limited the damage to just the two runs as he sent down Ryan Crocket on strikes to end the Samford rally with the bases loaded.
After allowing four more runs in the bottom of the seventh, UNC Asheville went into the eighth inning down 6-0 with the top of the Bulldog lineup coming up. After Gasparro grounded out to start the inning, Sebastian Dunn got his second hit of the game as he singled to center field. Dominic Freeberger followed that up with a single to right to put Bulldogs on first and second. Lankford reached on a fielders' choice as Samford forced Dunn out at third. The number five hitter, Jones, singled to right for his first hit of the game to load the bases for the Bulldogs.
Troost came up to bat with two outs and the bases load and responded with the biggest hit so far in the game for the Bulldogs as he singled down the left field line to score UNC Asheville's first two runs of the game. Lucas drew a two out walk to load the bases again for the Bulldogs to bring pinch hitter Will Barbour to the plate. Barbour fouled off a two strike pitch that was ruled catchers' interference as the end of Barbour's bat caught the mitt of the Samford catcher. That continued the Bulldogs' inning as Jones scored their third run of the inning.
UNC Asheville's two out rally continued as Chandler stepped up to the plate as the potential go-ahead run and drew another Bulldog walk, this time with the bases loaded to push across UNC Asheville's fourth run of the inning. Gasparro was up to bat next with the tying run in scoring position but couldn't capitalize as he ended the Bulldogs' rally with a strikeout.
After Samford scored a run in their half of the eighth, UNC Asheville entered the ninth down 7-4 with their two, three and four hitters due up in the order. Dunn picked up his third hit of the game as the switch hitting junior doubled down the right field line to lead-off the inning. Freeberger followed that up with an infield single to the third baseman. Lankford just missed on tying the game as he flew out to the right field warning track for the Bulldogs' first out of the inning.
Jones came up to bat with runners on first and third but was sent down on strikes by the Samford closer. Troost, who had already delivered one of the biggest hits of the game for the Bulldogs, was the last hope for UNC Asheville but Samford's powerful right hander got the Bulldog second baseman to pop up to end the game.
UNC Asheville will return to the field, Wednesday, February 19, as they take on the Wofford Terriers in Spartanburg, S.C.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Eric Sottile (1-0)
L: Douglas, Ryan (0-1)
S: Garrett Brown (1)
Batting:
2B: Dunn, Sebastian 1
RBI: Troost, Chris 2 ; Chandler, Wade 1
SH: Lucas, MJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Freeberger, Dominic 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 1 ; Jones, Easton 1 ; Troost, Chris 1
CS: Dunn, Sebastian 1
Batting:
2B: Towns King 1 ; Tyler McManus 1 ; Taylor Garris 1
HR: Taylor Garris 1
RBI: Max Pinto 1 ; Ayrton Schafer 1 ; Sonny DiChiara 1 ; Kaden Dreier 3 ; Taylor Garris 1
SH: Will David 1
SF: Sonny DiChiara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Max Pinto 2 ; Ayrton Schafer 1 ; Brooks Carlson 2 ; Taylor Garris 2
CS: Towns King 1
HBP: Brooks Carlson 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
Outfielder
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballInfielder/Right-Handed Pitcher
/ Baseball
Left-Handed Pitcher/Outfielder
/ Baseball1B/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
Right-Handed Pitcher
/ BaseballInfielder
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