University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, February 20
Asheville, NC
3 PM
UNC Asheville
2-4
5
vs
6
Rider
1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Rider
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
6
12
0
UNC Asheville
0
1
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
5
7
2
Baseball Drops Battle of a Series Opener to Rider on Friday
02.20.2026 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Baseball dropped a battle of a series opener to visiting Rider on Friday (Feb. 20) at Greenwood Field by a score of 6-5.
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Asheville struck first in the bottom of the second, when Chase Klingemann launched his first career home run over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. Rider would respond to tie the game with a run in the top of the third, before Asheville re-took the lead with two runs in the home half. Patrick Gillen reached via a one-out single up the middle, before Blaize Johnson blasted his third home run of the season and ninth of his career over the right field wall with two outs to put Asheville ahead 3-1. Rider would re-gain the lead with one run in each of the four innings to send the game to the stretch leading 5-3. Owen Michelson led off the seventh with a walk, before Rider recorded two outs in the inning. Tyler Parks was called on to pinch hit for his first at-bat as a Bulldog, taking the 1-2 pitch deep to left to tie the game with a two-run blast. Rider would turn up the pressure in the eighth inning, loading the bases with nobody out via a walk, a hit batter and a fielding error. Drew Turner would respond by striking out back-to-back batters before inducing a lineout to center as the Bulldogs left the bags full in the inning. Rider would break through to score the game's winning run in the top of the ninth, starting their season off with a win.
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Gillen paced the Bulldogs offense with two hits on the day, while Logan Lowe, Johnson, Klingemann and Coleman McGinnis each had one hit in the game. Gillen, Johnson, Michelson, Klingemann and Parks each scored a run in the game, while Johnson and Parks each drove in two runs and Klingemann also drove in one. Lucas Boesen got the ball to start for the Bulldogs, putting together a solid 4.1 innings allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He then handed the ball off to Turner (1-1) who unfortunately took the loss for the Bulldogs on the mound. The right-hander fired 4.1 innings of relief allowing three runs, two earned on six hits to go along with two walks and four punchouts. Garrett Crum made his second relief appearance of the season, tossing the final defensive 0.1 innings for Asheville.Â
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The Bulldogs return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 21) to wrap up the series with a nine-inning doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. from Greenwood Field, with live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
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A reminder that admission to all UNC Asheville Baseball games at Greenwood Field is free courtesy of Ingles!
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Asheville struck first in the bottom of the second, when Chase Klingemann launched his first career home run over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. Rider would respond to tie the game with a run in the top of the third, before Asheville re-took the lead with two runs in the home half. Patrick Gillen reached via a one-out single up the middle, before Blaize Johnson blasted his third home run of the season and ninth of his career over the right field wall with two outs to put Asheville ahead 3-1. Rider would re-gain the lead with one run in each of the four innings to send the game to the stretch leading 5-3. Owen Michelson led off the seventh with a walk, before Rider recorded two outs in the inning. Tyler Parks was called on to pinch hit for his first at-bat as a Bulldog, taking the 1-2 pitch deep to left to tie the game with a two-run blast. Rider would turn up the pressure in the eighth inning, loading the bases with nobody out via a walk, a hit batter and a fielding error. Drew Turner would respond by striking out back-to-back batters before inducing a lineout to center as the Bulldogs left the bags full in the inning. Rider would break through to score the game's winning run in the top of the ninth, starting their season off with a win.
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Gillen paced the Bulldogs offense with two hits on the day, while Logan Lowe, Johnson, Klingemann and Coleman McGinnis each had one hit in the game. Gillen, Johnson, Michelson, Klingemann and Parks each scored a run in the game, while Johnson and Parks each drove in two runs and Klingemann also drove in one. Lucas Boesen got the ball to start for the Bulldogs, putting together a solid 4.1 innings allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He then handed the ball off to Turner (1-1) who unfortunately took the loss for the Bulldogs on the mound. The right-hander fired 4.1 innings of relief allowing three runs, two earned on six hits to go along with two walks and four punchouts. Garrett Crum made his second relief appearance of the season, tossing the final defensive 0.1 innings for Asheville.Â
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The Bulldogs return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 21) to wrap up the series with a nine-inning doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. from Greenwood Field, with live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
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A reminder that admission to all UNC Asheville Baseball games at Greenwood Field is free courtesy of Ingles!
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Aiello, C. (1-0)
L: Turner, Drew (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Neri, K. 1
HR: Medlock, E. 1
RBI: Neri, K. 2 ; Shuhet, N. 1 ; Medlock, E. 1 ; Leahy, M. 1 ; Gallagher, W 1
SH: Paskell, A. 1 ; Medlock, E. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neri, K. 1 ; Shuhet, N. 2 ; Medlock, E. 1 ; Gallagher, W 2
SB: Leahy, M. 1
HBP: Gallagher, W 1
Batting:
HR: Johnson, Blaize 1 ; Klingemann, Chase 1 ; Parks, Tyler 1
RBI: Johnson, Blaize 2 ; Klingemann, Chase 1 ; Parks, Tyler 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Gillen, Patrick 1 ; Johnson, Blaize 1 ; Michelson, Owen 1 ; Klingemann, Chase 1 ; Parks, Tyler 1
PO: Lowe, Logan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
2b/ss
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C/UTL
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ Baseball
C/UTL
/ Baseball
RHP
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