University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, March 27
Spartanburg, SC
5 PM
UNC Asheville
13-13, 1-3
10
at
11
USC Upstate
13-14, 4-3
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
UNC Asheville
4
3
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
10
11
1
USC Upstate
3
0
0
0
0
1
3
2
2
11
13
2
Lead Slips Away as Baseball Drops Series Opener at USC Upstate on Friday
03.27.2026 | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - UNC Asheville Baseball saw its lead slip away in an 11-10 walk-off loss in the series opener at USC Upstate on Friday (Mar. 27).
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Asheville jumped out to a 4-0 lead through half an inning, before Upstate answered with three runs in the home half. Logan Lowe began the game with a single up the middle, before a Blaize Johnson double down the right field line put two runners in scoring position. Owen Michelson would bring home the game's first run with a single to left, before Jake Minarik would blast his third home run of the year to left center to bring home three and cap off a big first inning for Asheville. The Bulldogs would plate three more runs in the top of the second to stretch their lead to 7-3 early, with the inning starting with Zeb Swangim reaching on an Upstate error and advancing to second. Johnson would step to the plate later in the inning with two outs, singling to left to score Swangim before advancing to second on the throw on the play. Patrick Gillen would draw a walk to extend the inning, before a double steal put both runners in scoring position before Michelson continued the inning with a walk. Minarik would continue his hot start to the weekend with a two-RBI single to left that scored Gillen and Johnson to cap off the inning for the Bulldogs. The teams would trade scoreless frames into the fifth, before Asheville would add another run on a Coleman McGinnis sacrifice fly that scored Tyler Parks. After Drew Turner held the Spartans off the board in the bottom of the fifth, The Bulldogs would plate two more runs in the top of the sixth to stretch the lead to 10-4. Asheville's runs would come on a two-run bomb to left center off the bat of Owen Michelson with Gillen scoring on the hit, the second long ball of the season and of Michelson's career. Upstate would rally to walk the game from that point with one run in the sixth, three in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth.
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Johnson, Michelson, Minarik and Parks each had two hits in the game for the Bulldogs, while Lowe, Gillen and Swangim each had one hit in the game. Minarik matched a Bulldog individual season-high with five runs batted in for the game, while Michelson drove in a career-high three and Johnson and McGinnis each drove in one run. Johnson, Gillen and Michelson each scored twice in the game, while Lowe, Minarik, Parks and Swangim each scored once. Johnson and Gillen each had one stolen base in the game. Lucas Boesen got the start for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs on three hits through just 1.2 innings with one walk and two strikeouts. Drew Turner shouldered the load in the game with six innings of relief allowing six runs, four earned on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts before passing the ball to Garrett Crum. Crum (0-2) took the loss in the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk in 0.2 innings. Â
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The Bulldogs (13-13, 1-3 Big South) return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Mar. 28) for the middle game of the series. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. from Spartanburg with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
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Asheville jumped out to a 4-0 lead through half an inning, before Upstate answered with three runs in the home half. Logan Lowe began the game with a single up the middle, before a Blaize Johnson double down the right field line put two runners in scoring position. Owen Michelson would bring home the game's first run with a single to left, before Jake Minarik would blast his third home run of the year to left center to bring home three and cap off a big first inning for Asheville. The Bulldogs would plate three more runs in the top of the second to stretch their lead to 7-3 early, with the inning starting with Zeb Swangim reaching on an Upstate error and advancing to second. Johnson would step to the plate later in the inning with two outs, singling to left to score Swangim before advancing to second on the throw on the play. Patrick Gillen would draw a walk to extend the inning, before a double steal put both runners in scoring position before Michelson continued the inning with a walk. Minarik would continue his hot start to the weekend with a two-RBI single to left that scored Gillen and Johnson to cap off the inning for the Bulldogs. The teams would trade scoreless frames into the fifth, before Asheville would add another run on a Coleman McGinnis sacrifice fly that scored Tyler Parks. After Drew Turner held the Spartans off the board in the bottom of the fifth, The Bulldogs would plate two more runs in the top of the sixth to stretch the lead to 10-4. Asheville's runs would come on a two-run bomb to left center off the bat of Owen Michelson with Gillen scoring on the hit, the second long ball of the season and of Michelson's career. Upstate would rally to walk the game from that point with one run in the sixth, three in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth.
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Johnson, Michelson, Minarik and Parks each had two hits in the game for the Bulldogs, while Lowe, Gillen and Swangim each had one hit in the game. Minarik matched a Bulldog individual season-high with five runs batted in for the game, while Michelson drove in a career-high three and Johnson and McGinnis each drove in one run. Johnson, Gillen and Michelson each scored twice in the game, while Lowe, Minarik, Parks and Swangim each scored once. Johnson and Gillen each had one stolen base in the game. Lucas Boesen got the start for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs on three hits through just 1.2 innings with one walk and two strikeouts. Drew Turner shouldered the load in the game with six innings of relief allowing six runs, four earned on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts before passing the ball to Garrett Crum. Crum (0-2) took the loss in the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk in 0.2 innings. Â
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The Bulldogs (13-13, 1-3 Big South) return to action tomorrow (Saturday, Mar. 28) for the middle game of the series. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. from Spartanburg with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GIBSON, Jack (1-0)
L: Crum, Garrett (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Blaize 1 ; Gillen, Patrick 1 ; Swangim, Zeb 1
HR: Michelson, Owen 1 ; Minarik, Jake 1
RBI: Johnson, Blaize 1 ; Michelson, Owen 3 ; Minarik, Jake 5 ; McGinnis, Coleman 1
SF: McGinnis, Coleman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lowe, Logan 1 ; Johnson, Blaize 2 ; Gillen, Patrick 2 ; Michelson, Owen 2 ; Minarik, Jake 1 ; Parks, Tyler 1 ; Swangim, Zeb 1
SB: Johnson, Blaize 1 ; Gillen, Patrick 1
Batting:
2B: ZENOR, Henry 1 ; HEAGHNEY, Maloy 1 ; ARMSEY, Jake 1 ; BENTLEY, Trey 1 ; CAMPIDILLI, Clayton 1 ; RITZER, Alex 1
HR: ZENOR, Henry 1 ; SWEENEY, Johnny 1 ; WATERS, Wylie 1
RBI: ZENOR, Henry 2 ; SWEENEY, Johnny 3 ; WATERS, Wylie 3 ; ARMSEY, Jake 2 ; CAMPIDILLI, Clayton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ZENOR, Henry 2 ; LANG, Tyler 2 ; SWEENEY, Johnny 1 ; HEAGHNEY, Maloy 2 ; WATERS, Wylie 1 ; BOWMAN, Kenan 1 ; BENTLEY, Trey 1 ; RITZER, Alex 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
5
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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INF
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C/UTL
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
C/OF
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OF
/ BaseballC/UTL
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
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