University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
12-19
Appalachian State
19-11
Late Inning Push Not Enough as Bulldogs Fall in Walk-Off to App State
04.09.2024 | Baseball
BOONE, N.C. – A home run in the top of the ninth from Robbie Burnett helped the UNC Asheville baseball team take a 7-6 lead, but Appalachian State answered in the bottom of the ninth to earn an 8-7 walk-off victory Tuesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
App State got the first run of the day with a two-run homer in the first, but an RBI single up the middle from Ty Kaufman in the top of the third helped Asheville cut the Mountaineers' lead in half. App State answered in the bottom of the frame with a run, and extended its lead out 5-1 with two runs in the fourth.
Neither team scored a run over the next three innings, but the Bulldogs broke the scoring silence in the top of the eighth, following an RBI double from Kaufman to score Abrams and a sacrifice fly from Corbin Lanowitz to score Kaufman. The Mountaineers would extend their lead back out following a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth (6-3).
Asheville's ninth-inning rally started with three consecutive singles from Canon Pierce, Sam Gallardo, and Abrams. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed Pierce to score, and an RBI groundout from Kaufman scored Isaac Turner, who came in to pinch run. With two outs, Abrams on third, Asheville down 6-5, and a 1-2 count, Burnett homered to center field, putting the Bulldogs ahead 7-6. The Mountaineers did not give easily, as App State went on to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to complete the walk-off victory.
IN THE BOX
Asheville outhit App State 11-9, with Pierce and Abrams leading the Bulldogs with three hits apiece. Abrams led the team with three runs. Kaufman was the only other Bulldog with a multi-hit game, recording two knocks and leading the team with three RBIs. Burnett had one hit and two RBIs, with his homer being his 12th of the season. Michael Groves recorded his 11th double of the season, and Gallardo recorded his first hit of the season.
Six Bulldogs took the mound for Asheville with Sam Thompson suffering the loss.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will return to action this weekend as Asheville travels to Radford for a Big South Conference series. First pitch of game one will be on Friday, April 12, at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: LaSpaluto, Grey (4-0)
L: Strmiska, Jacob (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Kaufman, Ty 1 ; Groves, Michael 1 ; Abrams, Kohl 2
HR: Burnett, Robbie 1
RBI: Kaufman, Ty 3 ; Burnett, Robbie 2 ; Lanowitz, Corbin 1
SF: Lanowitz, Corbin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kaufman, Ty 1 ; Burnett, Robbie 1 ; Pierce, Canon 1 ; Turner, Isaac 1 ; Abrams, Kohl 3
SB: Kaufman, Ty 1 ; Pierce, Canon 1
Batting:
2B: Boyd, CJ 1
HR: St. Laurent, Austin 1 ; Tolley, Banks 1 ; Smiley, Graham 1
RBI: St. Laurent, Austin 3 ; Tolley, Banks 1 ; Church, Braxton 2 ; Smiley, Graham 1
SH: Boyd, CJ 1
SF: St. Laurent, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Boyd, CJ 2 ; St. Laurent, Austin 2 ; Tolley, Banks 1 ; Smiley, Graham 1 ; Wilder, Hunter 1 ; Zamora, Joseph 1
SB: Boyd, CJ 1 ; Quintero, Adam 1
HBP: Wilder, Hunter 1
