University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Saturday, April 19
High Point, NC
1 pm

UNC Asheville

13-24, 6-9

11
at
10

High Point

27-13, 11-4

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UNC Asheville
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2
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11
18
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High Point
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10
12
2
Brock Mercado VMI

Offense Carries Bulldogs to Series Win at High Point

04.19.2025 | Baseball

HIGH POINT, N.C. - The offense carried UNC Asheville Baseball to an 11-10 Saturday (Apr. 19) win and a series win at Big South Conference front-runner High Point, with Asheville scoring 11 runs on a season-high 18 hits. Asheville matched last season's highest single-game hit total matching the total from a 14-11 win over Bellarmine back on Feb. 24, 2024.
 
UNC Asheville opened the scoring in the top of the first when Blaize Johnson grounded out to score Corbin Lanowitz, before High Point would respond with two runs in the home half of the inning. High Point would add one run in the second to build a 3-1 lead, before Asheville would tie the game with two runs in the top of the third. Rylen Stockton would start the inning with a one-out single, before Patrick Gillen would draw a walk to put two men on for Johnson. Johnson laced a single through the right side to load the bases, before Jake Minarik lashed a single to left to score Stockton and Gillen to tie the game. High Point would get the lead right back with one run in the bottom of the third, before Asheville would jump ahead 6-4 with three runs in the top of the fourth. Isaac Turner led off the fourth with a single up the middle, before Lanowitz singled to right and the first out of the inning was recorded with Turner at third. Stockton would rip a two-out single to chase High Point's starter and move Lanowitz to second, before Gillen singled to left and the ball was misplayed allowing both Stockton and Lanowitz to score leaving Gillen at second. Johnson would bring Gillen home to cap off the inning on a single to right center. High Point would score one in the home half of the fourth to get back within one, before Asheville would add two more runs in the top of the fifth. Owen Michelson led off the inning with a single up the middle, before Brock Mercado singled through the left side to put two on with no one out. After a sacrifice bunt by Turner to move both runners up, Lanowitz brought them both home with a single up the middle to push Asheville's lead to 8-5. After High Point, got one run back in the bottom of the inning, Asheville would collect two more runs in the top of the sixth. Johnson began the frame with a one-out single to left, before a groundout pushed Johnson to second with two outs. Michelson reached on an infield single that moved Johnson to third, before they both came home on a Bermuda Triangle single by Mercado. High Point would add two in the home half of the sixth, before Ryland Howell would strand the bases loaded and extinguish the threat. After a scoreless seventh for both teams that saw Howell strand the bases full for the second straight inning, High Point would rally to tie the game at 10-10 with two runs in the home half of the eighth. Mercado began the inning with a single to left, before being lifted for pinch runner Johnny Brucato. Turner laid down his second successful sacrifice bunt of the day moving Brucato to second, before he would move to third on a fly out to center by Lanowitz. Logan Lowe would put a ball in play to third with two outs, before it was thrown away allowing Brucato to score and giving the Bulldogs the lead. Branden Barna (1-1) would pick up his first win of the season in relief, slamming the door with a strikeout looking leaving the tying run on first.
 
Lanowitz, Johnson and Mercado each had three hits in the game, with all three of them matching season-highs in that category. Stockton, Gillen and Michelson each registered two hits in the game, while Lowe, Minarik and Turner each had one hit. Lanowitz, Stockton, Gillen and Michelson each scored twice in the game while Johnson, Mercado and Brucato each scored once. Lanowitz, Johnson, Minarik and Mercado each drove in two runs in the game, while Lowe and Gillen each drove in one run in the game.
 
Garrett Crum got the start on the bump for the Bulldogs allowing seven runs, five earned through five innings on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He was relieved by Cal Barna who allowed one run with one walk, before he handed the ball off to Howell for 2.1 clutch innings of relief. Howell surrendered two runs on four hits with four walks and one punchout, before Barna took over and would ultimately pick up the win. Barna fired a hitless 1.2 innings of work with the game-ending punchout en route to earning his first win of the season.
 
The Bulldogs return home to Greenwood Field on Wednesday (Apr. 23) to host Western Carolina to wrap up the season series. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. from Asheville with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
 
A reminder that admission to all UNC Asheville Baseball games at Greenwood Field is free courtesy of Ingles!
 

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Barna, Branden (1-1)

L: OLSOVSKY (1-1)

UNC Asheville LogoUNC Asheville

Batting:

RBI: Lanowitz, Corbin 2 ; Lowe, Logan 1 ; Gillen, Patrick 1 ; Johnson, Blaize 2 ; Minarik, Jake 2 ; Mercado, Brock 2

SH: Turner, Isaac 2

Base Running:

RUNS: Lanowitz, Corbin 2 ; Stockton, Rylen 2 ; Gillen, Patrick 2 ; Johnson, Blaize 1 ; Michelson, Owen 2 ; Mercado, Brock 1 ; Brucato, Johnny 1

HBP: Johnson, Blaize 1

High Point LogoHigh Point

Batting:

2B: ECHAZARRETA 1 ; SIMPSON 1

3B: SMITH, C. 1

HR: SIMPSON 1 ; KELLY 1 ; RUIZ 1

RBI: SIMPSON 3 ; SMITH, C. 2 ; KELLY 2 ; RUIZ 2

SF: RUIZ 1

Base Running:

RUNS: DURSCHLAG 2 ; ECHAZARRETA 1 ; SIMPSON 1 ; MELTON 1 ; SMITH, C. 2 ; KELLY 1 ; MURPHY 1 ; RUIZ 1

SB: MURPHY 1

HBP: DURSCHLAG 1 ; SIMPSON 1 ; SMITH, C. 1 ; MURPHY 1

Game Leaders

AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
6
R
2
H
2
RBI
0

Players Mentioned

RHP
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RHP
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INF
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RHP
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INF
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RHP/OF
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C/UTL
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INF
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INF
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C
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OF
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INF
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