University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Tuesday, March 23
Asheville, NC
5:00 PM
UNC Asheville
4-12, 0
3
vs
6
Gardner-Webb
4-9, 0
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4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Gardner-Webb
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
3
6
10
1
UNC Asheville
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
3
6
0
Photo by: Mark Godin
Gardner-Webb Rallies Late to Down Asheville, 6-3
03.23.2021 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb scored three runs in the ninth inning to break a 3-3 tie and eventually defeated the UNC Asheville baseball team by a score of 6-3 Tuesday evening at Greenwood Field.
Dominic Freeberger led the way for the Bulldogs Tuesday going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Freeberger also pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Bulldogs, where he struck out two. Freshmen Ty Kaufman (two walks), Michael Groves (2-for-4), and Cam Johnson (one hit, one walk) all reached base twice to help fuel the Bulldog offense.
Both Asheville and Gardner-Webb had early scoring threats with runners in scoring position in the first inning but did not cash them in. The Runnin' Bulldogs would breakthrough in the second inning off of Asheville starter Chris Banks, who was making his first career start. GWU tallied three hits off Banks, but none of the three hits left the infield. Even with this unorthodox offense, Gardner-Webb took an early 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs would answer in the fourth. Freeberger got things started with a triple to rightfield. Groves drove him in a couple of batters later to tie the game at one. Asheville was able to tack on a couple more runs thanks to a dropped fly ball to give it an extra out to play with. After the fourth, the Bulldogs held a 3-1 lead.
Gardner-Webb did not take long to bounce back. Asheville reliever Brett Johnson retired the first two batters he faced quickly, but back-to-back solo home runs brought the score back into a tie at 3-3.
Both teams threatened to break the game open in the seventh and eighth innings. Gardner-Webb notched a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Asheville, however, averted the GWU scoring threat using four different pitchers to get out of the frame with the score still tied.
Asheville also had a bases-loaded opportunity in the eighth. GWU's relievers struggled to find the strike zone allowing three straight walks. However, a pivotal call to the bullpen seemed to stabilize things, and the two teams went to the ninth still tied.
Gardner-Webb would finally breakthrough in the ninth. A leadoff walk got things started, followed by a sacrifice bunt put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. A double down the leftfield line scored one run, and that was followed by RBI single to grow Gardner-Webb's lead to 5-3. GWU would add another run on a wild pitch to hold a 6-3 advantage going to the ninth.
Trailing by three with just three outs to play with, the Bulldogs did make things interesting. After the first two batters were retired, Kaufman walked, Freeberger was hit by a pitch bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Brandon Lankford. Lankford made solid contact hitting a line drive that seemed destined for the right-centerfield gap but was snared by the Gardner-Webb second baseman to end the game.
The Bulldogs will return to action this weekend when they welcome Radford for a three-game series at Greenwood Field. Asheville and Radford will play once Friday (5 p.m.) and then twice on Saturday (1 p.m.). All three games are scheduled to be on ESPN+.
Dominic Freeberger led the way for the Bulldogs Tuesday going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Freeberger also pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Bulldogs, where he struck out two. Freshmen Ty Kaufman (two walks), Michael Groves (2-for-4), and Cam Johnson (one hit, one walk) all reached base twice to help fuel the Bulldog offense.
Both Asheville and Gardner-Webb had early scoring threats with runners in scoring position in the first inning but did not cash them in. The Runnin' Bulldogs would breakthrough in the second inning off of Asheville starter Chris Banks, who was making his first career start. GWU tallied three hits off Banks, but none of the three hits left the infield. Even with this unorthodox offense, Gardner-Webb took an early 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs would answer in the fourth. Freeberger got things started with a triple to rightfield. Groves drove him in a couple of batters later to tie the game at one. Asheville was able to tack on a couple more runs thanks to a dropped fly ball to give it an extra out to play with. After the fourth, the Bulldogs held a 3-1 lead.
Gardner-Webb did not take long to bounce back. Asheville reliever Brett Johnson retired the first two batters he faced quickly, but back-to-back solo home runs brought the score back into a tie at 3-3.
Both teams threatened to break the game open in the seventh and eighth innings. Gardner-Webb notched a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Asheville, however, averted the GWU scoring threat using four different pitchers to get out of the frame with the score still tied.
Asheville also had a bases-loaded opportunity in the eighth. GWU's relievers struggled to find the strike zone allowing three straight walks. However, a pivotal call to the bullpen seemed to stabilize things, and the two teams went to the ninth still tied.
Gardner-Webb would finally breakthrough in the ninth. A leadoff walk got things started, followed by a sacrifice bunt put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. A double down the leftfield line scored one run, and that was followed by RBI single to grow Gardner-Webb's lead to 5-3. GWU would add another run on a wild pitch to hold a 6-3 advantage going to the ninth.
Trailing by three with just three outs to play with, the Bulldogs did make things interesting. After the first two batters were retired, Kaufman walked, Freeberger was hit by a pitch bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Brandon Lankford. Lankford made solid contact hitting a line drive that seemed destined for the right-centerfield gap but was snared by the Gardner-Webb second baseman to end the game.
The Bulldogs will return to action this weekend when they welcome Radford for a three-game series at Greenwood Field. Asheville and Radford will play once Friday (5 p.m.) and then twice on Saturday (1 p.m.). All three games are scheduled to be on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: STRICKLAND, Dalton (1-0)
L: Tressler, Ethan (0-2)
S: HARRISON, Tyler (1)
Batting:
2B: SIMONE, Joe 1
HR: McLENDON, Mitch 1 ; LaSPALUTO, Ben 1
RBI: McLENDON, Mitch 1 ; LaSPALUTO, Ben 1 ; SIMONE, Joe 1 ; PERONI, Dom 1 ; CAPOBIANCO, Pete 1
SH: LaSPALUTO, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McLENDON, Mitch 2 ; LaSPALUTO, Ben 1 ; SIMONE, Joe 1 ; FERGUSON, Patrick 1 ; BRAZIL, Joe 1
SB: LaSPALUTO, Ben 1 ; PERONI, Dom 1 ; MENDELLA, Benino 1
CS: McLENDON, Mitch 1
HBP: RUSHER, Bo 1
Batting:
2B: Groves, Michael 1
3B: Freeberger, Dominic 1
RBI: Groves, Michael 1 ; Troost, Chris 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1
SH: Preslar, Grayson 1
SF: Troost, Chris 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Freeberger, Dominic 1 ; Groves, Michael 1 ; Dunn, Sebastian 1
CS: Johnson, Cameron 1
HBP: Freeberger, Dominic 1 ; Dunn, Sebastian 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ BaseballC/U
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
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