BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb's ninth-inning rally fell short Sunday afternoon, as UNC Asheville held on for a 5-3 win at John Henry Moss Stadium/Bill Masters Field.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (16-12, 5-4 Big South) dropped their first Big South Conference series of the season – and have lost a surprising five of their last six contests at home after a 10-1 start in the facility.
UNC Asheville (14-14, 3-6 Big South) won its first league series and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in a length top of the fourth inning. The visiting Bulldogs got a man on board when Joe Tetjen was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and GWU starter Mitch Warner found himself in major trouble when Lucas Owens coaxed a six-pitch walk one batter later.
Paul Trick snagged a ground ball at third and started a 5-3 double play to slow the inning, but Hunter Bryant doubled to the warning track in center to drive home Owens for a 1-0 lead. Tommy Houmard was plunked to put men on first and second, and UNC Asheville drew back-to-back walks to drive in another run for a 2-0 lead.
Warner was lifted in favor of reliever Bradley Hallman, who fanned Eric Connolly to leave the bases loaded.
Gardner-Webb got a run back in the fifth, getting its first hit of the game when Paul Trick dropped in a double near the line in left field. Evan Hyett delivered a sharp RBI single to center to trim the visitor's lead to 2-1, but UNC Asheville starter Lucas Clarke got out of the inning with his team still in front.
Kyle Towles led off with a double in the sixth and was followed by a sharp single from Bryant to put men on the corners. Houmard followed with an RBI fielder's choice for a 3-1 lead. Hallman worked out of the jam, getting a strikeout and a nice throw on a steal attempt from Collin Thacker to end the frame.
Gardner-Webb made a push in the seventh, getting a leadoff single from Scott Johnson and a one-out base on balls from Trick, but left both men stranded. A two-out single from Thacker in the eighth was the only dent in that inning.
Asheville found itself the beneficiary of a major break in the top of the ninth after getting two men on after one-out singles from Houmard and Joe Zayatz. Hallman recovered to get a ground ball for the second out, but Houmard and Zayatz each moved into scoring position. Connolly made contact in the next at bat, and his shallow pop up fell just out of reach of a charging, diving left fielder – scoring both men for a comfortable 5-1 lead.
Those two runs would prove to be the game winners after Gardner-Webb finally found some offense in the ninth. Johnson led off with a hard single to center and scored when Rundio belted a double deep to center. Rundio moved to third on a groundout and scored on Patrick Graham's sacrifice fly to right field – trimming Asheville's lead to 5-3.
Hyett battled for a walk, using a nine-pitch at bat to do so, bringing the tying run to the plate with two away. The rally would come to a halt, however, as a strikeout ended the game.
Warner (2-2) lost for the first time since moving into the starting rotation three weeks ago and lasted just 3.2 innings. He walked three, scattered three hits and allowed two runs (three strikeouts). Hallman fanned five, allowed five hits and three runs in 5.1 innings of relief.
The Runnin' Bulldogs had six hits, with Johnson (2-for-4, run) the lone man with more than one.
Clarke (3-3) picked up the win for UNC Asheville, allowing just two hits and one run in 6.0 innings of work. He fanned three and walked one. The southpaw did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and retired the first 11 batters he faced before a fourth-inning error and walk.
Jordan Fulbright tossed 2.0 scoreless relief innings and Schavone came on to work the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits with a walk and strikeout.
Bryant (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Houmard (2-for-3, RBI) each led UNC Asheville's eight-hit offensive effort. Six different men collected at least one hit on the day.
Gardner-Webb hits the road again on Tuesday, traveling to North Carolina A&T for a 6:00 pm first pitch in Greensboro, N.C.
