GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG pitching staff allowed just three hits all afternoon, but UNC Asheville took advantage those hits and a pair of errors as the Spartans fell to the Bulldogs, 3-0, on Tuesday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
David Ricker picked up his first win of the season for the Bulldogs (4-0) after coming in to pitch 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief to pick record the win. He also struck out five batters on the day.
Pete Schultz was credited with his second loss of the season for UNCG (2-2) after allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits in just a third of an inning of work. Brandon Browne got the start for the Spartans and pitch four no-hit innings to start the game.
Tommy Houmard and Catlin Carter each had one hit and a run scored for the Bulldogs, while Danny Baatz and Patrick Koontz collected the only two RBI for UNC Asheville.
Drew Gehringer led the Spartans, who were only able to muster six hits themselves, at the plate as he recorded a pair of hits on the day. Chris Barker was hit by a pitch twice in the game to run his season total up to four already this season. Last year, Barker ranked fourth nationally after being hit by a pitch 26 times throughout the season.
UNCG looked like it would get on the board first in the bottom of the third as Gehringer had a two-out single up the middle to start things off. Barker was then hit by a pitch and Bobby Martin drew a walk to load the bases, but the Bulldogs got a strikeout to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.
After Browne was relieved by Schultz to start the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs jumped on the relief pitcher. With one out, Houmard singled to right field for the first Bulldog hit of the afternoon and Carter followed with a single through the left side. Jordan Lurie followed with a perfect bunt single down the third base line to load the bases.
Zach Furl then came in to relieve Schultz and induced what might have been an inning-ending double play ball, but the shortstop bobbled the ball and all runners were safe to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Koontz was then hit by a pitch later in the inning to give UNC Asheville a 2-0 lead through five innings of play.
The Spartans threatened again in the bottom of the seventh as they loaded the bases again. Eric Brindle led off with a single to right center and after a pair of strikeouts; Barker was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Martin followed with a walk to load the bases, but once again the Bulldogs came up with a huge strikeout to get out of the jam.
UNC Asheville would go on to tack on another run in the top of the eighth on another Spartan error to push its lead to 3-0.
The Spartans return to the diamond this weekend as they host Cleveland State for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 4 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE
UNC Asheville 3, UNCG 0
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UNC Asheville....... 000 020 010 - 3 3 1 (4-0)
UNCG................ 000 000 000 - 0 6 2 (2-2)
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Pitchers: UNC Asheville - HARRINGTON,Grier; RICKER, David(5); MCLEAN, Carson(7); PATE, Matthew(8); DULL, Ryan(9) and GRAHAM, Ian. UNCG - Brandon Browne; Pete Schultz(5); Zach Furl(5); Dylan Hathcock(7); Tyler Hollstegge(8) and Cambric Moye; Matt Crump.
Win-RICKER, David(1-0) Save-DULL, Ryan(1) Loss-Pete Schultz(0-2) T-2:48 A-183
Weather: 43 and cloudy
- UNCG -
