University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
4-1
Eastern Kentucky
3-3
Bulldogs get back into the win column with a 5-4 victory over Eastern Kentucky
02.24.2023 | Baseball
The Bulldogs outhit Eastern Kentucky on Friday nine to seven. Corbin Lanowitz totaled two of those nine hits, reached base three times on a 2-for-3 day at the plate and drove in a run. Cameron Johnson had a two-hit day as well, which included a solo home run and Kohl Abrams went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.
On the mound, Asheville used four pitchers on Friday. Clay Edmondson improved to 2-0 on the season after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits to go with four strikeouts in five innings pitched. Justin Needles tossed a pair of shutout innings and Dawson Salter struck out a pair of EKU hitters in the ninth to pick up the save.
Eastern Kentucky would get on the scoreboard first on Friday. A solo home run from EKU began the second inning. After a lineout, the Colonels drew a walk, a batter was hit by a pitch, and a Bulldog error loaded the bases with one out. An RBI single grew the Colonel lead to 2-0 before a fielder's choice chased in another run before Asheville got an EKU runner in a rundown to record the third out.
The Bulldogs would answer back in the fourth inning. Robbie Burnett led the inning off with a single. Dylan Bacot was hit by the pitch and Lanowitz added a single that scored Burnett to make the score, 3-1.
A sacrifice bunt from Johnson and Michael Groves was hit by a pitch to reload the bases for the Bulldogs. Tylan Reece came up with arguably the biggest hit of the game with a three-run double to put Asheville up, 4-3.
A big-time 3-run double by Tylan Reece and Asheville pulls in front of Eastern Kentucky, 4-3! #ALLinAVL #TTS pic.twitter.com/ndZ5TbSlDY
— Asheville Baseball (@UNCAvlBaseball) February 24, 2023
A solo home run from Johnson in the sixth extended Asheville's lead to 5-3. Eastern Kentucky would get a run back in the eighth thanks to two doubles and a single. However, that's where the Colonel comeback stalled as Salter pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to finish off the 5-4 win for Asheville.
Asheville will look to clinch the series win on Saturday when these same two teams match up. First pitch for that contest is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Edmondson, Clay (2-0)
L: MILBURN, Isaac (0-2)
S: Salter, Dawson (1)
Batting:
2B: Reece, Tylan 1
HR: Johnson, Cameron 1
RBI: Lanowitz, Corbin 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1 ; Reece, Tylan 3
SH: Johnson, Cameron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Lanowitz, Corbin 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1 ; Groves, Michael 1
CS: Kaufman, Ty 1 ; Reece, Tylan 1
HBP: Bacot, Dylan 1 ; Groves, Michael 1
Batting:
2B: THOMASON, Logan 1 ; LUDWICK, Charles 1 ; DAVIS, Conner 1
HR: KING, Will 1
RBI: LARREAL, Miguel 1 ; KING, Will 1 ; LUDWICK, Charles 1 ; DAVIS, Conner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: THOMASON, Logan 1 ; KING, Will 1 ; LUDWICK, Charles 1 ; FRANKLIN, Ron 1
HBP: FRANKLIN, Ron 1
PO: JONES, Jalen 1
