University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
1-0, 0
Sacred Heart
0-1, 0
Baseball opens its season with a 7-1 win over Sacred Heart
02.17.2023 | Baseball
Asheville received contributions throughout its lineup on Friday. Every position player that appeared in Friday's game either scored a run, drove in a run, or reached base at least one time. Robbie Burnett, an All-Big South Freshman Team selection last season, started his sophomore campaign on a high note going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, a pair of walks, a stolen base and drove in three of Asheville's seven runs. Kohl Abrams (2-for-2, two runs scored, two walks) and Dylan Bacot (2-for-3, double, RBI) also had multi-hit outings to start their respective 2023 campaigns.
On the mound, the Bulldogs got a stellar start from newcomer Clay Edmondson. Edmondson, who got the win, pitched six innings, allowed one run (not earned) on four hits to go with six strikeouts in his Bulldog debut. Edmondson was followed by senior Blake Little who also gave the Pioneer hitters off balance. Little got a rare three-inning save allowing two hits and four strikeouts.
Asheville jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with the solo home run by Burnett in the bottom of the first. Sacred Heart was able to scratch across an unearned run against Edmondson in the following half inning to tie the score at one.
Edmondson and Sacred Heart starter Jack Kramer put up multiple scoreless innings until the game reached the fifth. Abrams led the inning off with a walk followed by a single from Tony Castonguay. The back-to-back baserunners chased Kramer from the game with the score still tied 1-1 with one out in the fifth.
Facing the Pioneer bullpen, the Bulldog offense caught fire. Burnett came through again with a ringing double to score Abrams to make the score 2-1 Bulldogs. Bacot and Corbin Lanowitz followed with RBI singles of their own to make it 4-1 Asheville. A sacrifice fly from Cameron Johnson grew Asheville's lead to four, 5-1, heading to the sixth.
The Bulldogs would tack on two more insurance runs in the sixth to grow their lead to six, 7-1. The tandem of Edmondson and Little did the rest from the mound to finish off the 7-1 win for Asheville.
Asheville and Sacred Heart will continue their series on Saturday. Game two will also be played at the Big League Camp facility in Marion, N.C. with a first pitch time of Noon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Edmondson, Clay (1-0)
L: Jack Kramer (0-1)
S: Little, Blake (1)
Batting:
2B: Sam Mongelli 1 ; Dante D'Amore 1
RBI: Justin Jordan 1
SF: Justin Jordan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dante D'Amore 1
SB: Sam Mongelli 1 ; Ryan Donnelly 1 ; Michael Simonelli 1
HBP: Robert Farruggio 3 ; Joey Skarad 1
PO: Sam Mongelli 1
Batting:
2B: Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Groves, Michael 1 ; Abrams, Kohl 1
HR: Burnett, Robbie 1
RBI: Kaufman, Ty 1 ; Burnett, Robbie 3 ; Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Lanowitz, Corbin 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1
SH: Kaufman, Ty 1
SF: Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Castonguay, Tony 1 ; Burnett, Robbie 2 ; Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Bristow , Drew 1 ; Abrams, Kohl 2
SB: Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Lanowitz, Corbin 1
HBP: Castonguay, Tony 1 ; Bacot, Dylan 1
