University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
8-13, 0
Charleston Southern
10-15, 0
Bulldogs rally to knock off Charleston Southern on Saturday
03.26.2022 | Baseball
Groves had arguably his best performance as a Bulldog in Saturday's victory. The sophomore from Holly Springs, N.C. went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a triple with two runs scored and three RBI. Dominic Freeberger also had a four-hit game going 4-for-5, while the duo of Dylan Bacot (two singles) and Grayson Preslar (three-run home run, single) each had two hits to help the cause.
Asheville used just two pitchers in Saturday's win. Starter Ryan Douglas pitched the first five innings and allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits to go with four strikeouts. The reigning Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week Justin Honeycutt came in next and pitched the final four innings for the Bulldogs. Honeycutt, who ended up getting the win and boosting his record to 2-1, allowed two runs (none earned) on three hits in his outing on Saturday.
The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first Saturday. Groves got things started with a double in the bottom of the second, followed by Cam Johnson getting hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Preslar came through with an opposite-field three-run home run to stake Douglas to an early 3-0 lead.
A three-run home run from Preslar gives the Bulldogs the early 3-0 lead!
— UNC Asheville Baseball (@UNCAvlBaseball) March 26, 2022
📺: https://t.co/4VmODnceYM
📊: https://t.co/5MrY3Lgtp4#ALLinAVL #TTS pic.twitter.com/VrYf4810aF
After Bacot had an RBI single in the fourth to extend Asheville's lead to 4-0, Charleston Southern had its biggest inning of the day in the sixth. CSU batted around, and even though it only notched two hits against the duo of Douglas and Honeycutt, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing by the end of the half-inning, 5-4.
As mentioned earlier, the Bulldogs rallied in the eighth. Freeberger got things started with a single. Robbie Burnett and Wade Chandler both worked walks to load the bases with two outs. Groves then came through with the three-run triple to clear the bases and give the Bulldogs the lead back, 7-5. Groves himself would score later on in the frame on a passed ball, and Asheville took an 8-5 lead into the ninth.
Charleston Southern did scratch across a run in the ninth, but Honeycutt stopped any potential rally there to give Asheville its first Big South series victory of 2022 and its third straight win overall.A three-run triple by Groves vaults Asheville back in front!
— UNC Asheville Baseball (@UNCAvlBaseball) March 26, 2022
📺: https://t.co/4VmODnceYM
📊: https://t.co/5MrY3Lgtp4#ALLinAVL #TTS pic.twitter.com/GbFO22aQh6
Asheville, now 8-13 overall and 3-2 in Big South play, will look for the sweep when the same two teams match up in the series finale. The first pitch for that tilt is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Honeycutt, Justin (2-1)
L: RAJ, K. (2-1)
Batting:
2B: MILLS, P. 1
RBI: McINTOSH, H. 1 ; CARTER, C. 1 ; IZZIO, A. 1 ; WALDSCHMIDT 1
SF: CARTER, C. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BREWER, T. 1 ; HARRIS, H. 1 ; FAZZARI, N. 1 ; SCZEPKOWSKI 1 ; MILLS, P. 1 ; BASLER, P. 1
SB: SCZEPKOWSKI 1
HBP: McINTOSH, H. 1
Batting:
2B: Freeberger, Dominic 1 ; Groves, Michael 2
3B: Groves, Michael 1
HR: Preslar, Grayson 1
RBI: Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Groves, Michael 3 ; Preslar, Grayson 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Freeberger, Dominic 1 ; Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Chandler, Wade 1 ; Groves, Michael 2 ; Johnson, Cameron 1 ; Preslar, Grayson 2
HBP: Johnson, Cameron 1
