University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
14-7, 0
Longwood
7-17, 0
Asheville Cruises Past Longwood, 12-0, For First Big South Win
03.24.2023 | Baseball
The Bulldogs had plenty of contributors both offensively and on the mound to fuel Friday's 12-0 win over the Lancers. Eight of the nine Bulldogs that started on Friday picked up a hit and six players had two hits. Michael Groves (2-for-5, four RBI), Dylan Bacot (2-for-4, three RBI), and Cameron Johnson (2-for-4, two RBI) all had two hits and drove in multiple runs for Asheville.
On the mound, Clay Edmondson turned in his best start as a Bulldog to date. Edmondson turned in seven shutout innings against Longwood. He scattered four hits, walked one, and struck out six. Edmondson's record moves to 5-1 on the season with Friday's effort. Blake Little and Branden Barna also tossed scoreless frames out of the Bulldog bullpen to complete their first shutout of the season.
Longwood's best scoring chances came early on. The Lancers totaled three singles in the first frame but a baserunning mistake played a key role in leaving two runners left on base. In the second, Edmondson picked up a key strikeout to leave the bases loaded.
Another huge K from Edmondson leaves the bases loaded in the second! #ALLinAVL #TTS pic.twitter.com/cUubPiTAhy
— Asheville Baseball (@UNCAvlBaseball) March 24, 2023
The Bulldogs would break through in the third. Tylan Reece got things started with a single. Robbie Burnett then scored Reece on an RBI triple to give Asheville the advantage. A ringing single by Bacot scored Burnett and staked Edmondson and Asheville to a 2-0 lead.
Asheville would add to its lead in the fifth. Burnett got things started with a double. Bacot grounded out to third but Burnett was able to advance up a base. Following a fielder's choice by Corbin Lanowitz, Johnson came through with an RBI single to plate Burnett and grow Asheville's lead to 3-0.
Now into the Longwood bullpen, Asheville's offense did not stop churning out stellar at-bats. The Bulldogs scored three in the sixth, one more in the seventh, and capped the game with a five-run eighth. The big hit in the five-run eighth inning was a grand slam from Groves.
GRAND SLAM MICHAEL GROVES! 12-0 Bulldogs! #ALLinAVL #TTS pic.twitter.com/tB4jvR7JKa
— Asheville Baseball (@UNCAvlBaseball) March 24, 2023
The 12 runs of support were more than enough for the Bulldog pitchers. After the rocky start, Edmondson settled in. He not only pitched a season-high seven innings, but he also got better as the game went along as his last three innings were three up, three down frames.
Asheville and Longwood will continue their series on Saturday. Game two of the three-game series is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Edmondson, Clay (5-1)
L: BERRIER, Logan (1-2)
Batting:
2B: HARRIS, Hayden 1 ; THOMAS, Tanner 1
Base Running:
HBP: SHELTON, Keondre 1 ; THOMAS, Tanner 1
Batting:
2B: Abrams, Kohl 1 ; Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Bacot, Dylan 1
3B: Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Groves, Michael 1
HR: Groves, Michael 1
RBI: Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Bacot, Dylan 3 ; Lanowitz, Corbin 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 2 ; Groves, Michael 4 ; Gallardo, Sam 1
SF: Gallardo, Sam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Abrams, Kohl 1 ; Burnett, Robbie 3 ; Bacot, Dylan 2 ; Lanowitz, Corbin 1 ; Johnson, Cameron 1 ; Groves, Michael 2 ; Reece, Tylan 2
CS: Abrams, Kohl 1
HBP: Abrams, Kohl 1 ; Castonguay, Tony 1 ; Reece, Tylan 1
