University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, May 14
Boiling Springs, NC
5:00 PM
UNC Asheville
15-28, 14-21
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at
7
Gardner-Webb
24-19, 23-11
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6
7
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9
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E
UNC Asheville
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10
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Gardner-Webb
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2
0
1
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X
7
10
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Brett Johnson struck out three of the four batters he faced Friday
Photo by: Mark Godin
Bulldogs Battle but Fall in Series Opener at Gardner-Webb
05.14.2021 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team battled back from an early deficit but ultimately fell in the series opener at Gardner-Webb by a score of 7-6.
Gardner-Webb got out to an early lead on Friday, scoring at least one run in four of the first five innings. Among these scoring outbursts, the Runnin' Bulldogs scored multiple runs in three different innings and slugged a pair of home runs. Thanks to these stellar offensive numbers, GWU led 7-0 after six innings of play.
The Bulldogs took a significant bite out of Gardner-Webb's lead in the seventh. Ty Kaufman (hit by pitch), Sebastian Dunn (single), and Fermin Osio (walk) all reached to start the frame to give Asheville a bases loaded chance with nobody out. Michael Groves then came through with a three-run triple to clear the bases and get the Bulldogs on the board.
After the first four men reached to start the inning, Gardner-Webb was able to get Kohl Abrams to ground out, but Groves scored to make the score 7-4. Grayson Preslar and Wade Chandler promptly followed with singles to restart a scoring chance for Asheville. After the two singles, Dominic Freeberger reached on a wild pitch to reload the bases. Brandon Lankford was up next, and much like Groves did earlier in the inning, came through with a two-run double to score Preslar and Chandler to get the Bulldogs within one, 7-6, heading into the seventh inning stretch.
Following the big inning by the Bulldogs, relievers Gino Marra and Brett Johnson kept the Runnin' Bulldogs off the scoreboard to give Asheville a better chance to complete its comeback. Gardner-Webb retired Asheville in order in the eighth, but the Bulldogs did create a scoring chance in the ninth.
Abrams got the ninth started with a single up the middle, and a few batters later, Freeberger added a single to give the Bulldogs runners on the corners with two outs. Unfortunately, Gardner-Webb reliever Isaac Campbell got Lankford to fly out to left field to close the game out, 7-6.
Asheville and Gardner-Webb will close out their series on Saturday with a doubleheader. The twin bill is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Gardner-Webb got out to an early lead on Friday, scoring at least one run in four of the first five innings. Among these scoring outbursts, the Runnin' Bulldogs scored multiple runs in three different innings and slugged a pair of home runs. Thanks to these stellar offensive numbers, GWU led 7-0 after six innings of play.
The Bulldogs took a significant bite out of Gardner-Webb's lead in the seventh. Ty Kaufman (hit by pitch), Sebastian Dunn (single), and Fermin Osio (walk) all reached to start the frame to give Asheville a bases loaded chance with nobody out. Michael Groves then came through with a three-run triple to clear the bases and get the Bulldogs on the board.
After the first four men reached to start the inning, Gardner-Webb was able to get Kohl Abrams to ground out, but Groves scored to make the score 7-4. Grayson Preslar and Wade Chandler promptly followed with singles to restart a scoring chance for Asheville. After the two singles, Dominic Freeberger reached on a wild pitch to reload the bases. Brandon Lankford was up next, and much like Groves did earlier in the inning, came through with a two-run double to score Preslar and Chandler to get the Bulldogs within one, 7-6, heading into the seventh inning stretch.
Following the big inning by the Bulldogs, relievers Gino Marra and Brett Johnson kept the Runnin' Bulldogs off the scoreboard to give Asheville a better chance to complete its comeback. Gardner-Webb retired Asheville in order in the eighth, but the Bulldogs did create a scoring chance in the ninth.
Abrams got the ninth started with a single up the middle, and a few batters later, Freeberger added a single to give the Bulldogs runners on the corners with two outs. Unfortunately, Gardner-Webb reliever Isaac Campbell got Lankford to fly out to left field to close the game out, 7-6.
Asheville and Gardner-Webb will close out their series on Saturday with a doubleheader. The twin bill is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MILLER, Mason (6-1)
L: Honeycutt, Justin (3-2)
S: CAMPBELL, Isaac (5)
Batting:
2B: Chandler, Wade 1 ; Lankford, Brandon 1
3B: Groves, Michael 1
RBI: Lankford, Brandon 2 ; Groves, Michael 3 ; Abrams, Kohl 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chandler, Wade 1 ; Kaufman, Ty 1 ; Dunn, Sebastian 1 ; Osio, Fermin 1 ; Groves, Michael 1 ; Preslar, Grayson 1
HBP: Kaufman, Ty 1
Batting:
2B: McLENDON, Mitch 1
HR: PARKHURST, Keiji 1 ; SIMONE, Joe 1
RBI: LaSPALUTO, Ben 1 ; PARKHURST, Keiji 1 ; SIMONE, Joe 2
Base Running:
RUNS: McLENDON, Mitch 1 ; PARKHURST, Keiji 1 ; PERONI, Dom 2 ; SIMONE, Joe 2 ; McGUIRE, JP 1
HBP: JONES, Eric 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
ss/2b
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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U
/ 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