iay 6,1999
The Banner
Page 7
Sports
Baseball loses two to Liberty, one to Davidson
said
By Patrick Alderman
staff Writer
The UNCA baseball team was burned in
no out of three games against the Flames
if Liberty on April 30 and May 1, before
ailing prey to Davidson 6-1 in a single
lame on May 4.
Bulldog head coach Bill Hillier says he is
joking for a strong finish to the season
roing into the Big South Conference Tour-
lament.
To this point, it has been a disappointing
tar for me,” said Hillier. “I’m sure it has
leen for the team too, but we still have the
ournament to look forward to.
“We’re kind of banged up and kind of
down mentally right now,” said Hillier.
“But I think our guys realize that, going
into that tournament, there is no one domi
nant team (in the conference),” said Hillier.
Liberty took the first game of the series 9-
1 on their home field in Lynchburg, Va. on
April 30.
The Flames sparked off with a 7-0 lead
after two innings and kept the heat on
UNCA, holding them scoreless until the
seventh inning.
The game was both won and lost on the
mound as Liberty starter Darren Adams
gave away only five hits and one run in his
seven innings pitched, while senior Eddie
Woods struggled for the Bulldogs, hand
ing out five walks, four hits and seven runs
A
k.'
1
PHOTOS BY I HA\/iy BAHKbH
JNCA junior Pete IVIeterko avoids being picked off at first base.
in his two innings pitched.
In the first game of a doubleheader
on the following day, UNCA came
out strong with a 3-0 lead, scoring
once in the second and twice in the
third inning.
Liberty started its comeback in the
fourth, scoring one, then bursting
back into action in the fifth with five
runs to rack up the winning total of
6-3.
A single from Flames catcher Scot-
tie Scott, a walk for first baseman
Ryan McClellan, a sacrifice fly from
outfielder Steve Baker, and a line
drive to the base umpire by third
baseman John Bona loaded up the
bases for Liberty in the fifth inning.
An error by Bulldogs’ sophomore
second baseman Jason Ronai allowed
Scott and McClellan to cross home
plate while Bona reached third.
The Flames’ Jay Sullinger stole sec
ond after his erred single, followed by
a single from outfielder Trey Miller
who reached second on a throw to
the plate while Sullinger and Bona
ran home.
Miller crossed home plate for the
inning’s fifth and final run on a double
to center field by Flames’ shortstop
Anthony Pennix.
Woods and junior third baseman
Stephen Deyo led the Bulldogs at the
plate, each going two for four while
left fielder Troy Stortz drove in the
lone RBI for UNCA.
Freshman Judson Ballard took the
loss by way of five hits, six runs and
four walks in his seven-inning effort.
Josh Brey pitched a solid nine in
nings for Liberty, giving away seven
hits, three runs and one walk.
Game two of the doubleheader
turned out to be a battle of the pitch
ing staffs as the Bulldogs pulled out a 3-2
victory.
UNCA took an early lead of 1-0 as Stortz,
who was walked to first and made it to
second on a passed ball, crossed the plate
on a center field single by Deyo in the first
inning.
Liberty tied up the contest in the bottom
of the second when McClellan stole second
ofifa walk and was ushered home on a single
to left field by Bona.
UNCA counterpunched in the third with
a solo home run off Woods’ bat.
In the seventh, a walk put the Flames on
first and second, and a double by Pennix
down the left line brought in the tying run.
Liberty had a chance to take the win in the
eighth when outfielder Tim Strong hit a
pinch hit triple with one out, but he was left
standing with no chance of making it home.
UNCa marked up the wmnmg run when
Ronai was sacrificed to second, and then
brought in by a single to left center by
senior first baseman Josh White, to wrap it
up 3-2.
PHOTO BY TRAVIS BARKER
UNCA catcher Brett IVIuhlhan waits on a pitch during the Bulldogs' game
against Davidson on May 4.
Senior relief pitcher Jason White picked
up his sixth win of the season, throwing for
two innings, giving up three hits, walking
two and striking out one.
Against the Wildcats of Davidson Col
lege, the Bulldogs mauled themselves, com
mitting three errors that allowed for five
Wildcat runs.
Davidson scored only one earned run, in
the second inning, when right fielder
Jeremiah Parvin opened with a triple and
was sacrificed at home by catcher Kurt
Davis.
Bulldogs’ junior shortstop Pete Meterko
drove in the Bulldogs' lone run off a single
to bring home Deyo in the fifth.
First baseman for the Wildcats, Stew
Sloan, capitalized on UNCA’s errors, rack
ing up four RBIs and driving in a bases
loaded, three-run double in the seventh to
finalize the game at 6-1.
Freshman Brad Comer (0-2) took the loss
for the Bulldogs, allowing three hits, two
runs and three strikeouts in six innings.
Wildcat Fritz Porter (2-2) earned the win
with five strikeouts, five hits and one run in
nine innings.
The Bulldogs were scheduled to face
Wofford on May 5, Furman on May 6, and
finish the regular season in Winston-Salem
with two games against Wake Forest on
May 9 and 10.
The Furman game will mark the Bull
dogs’ senior day, which will honor gradu
ating seniors, Jason and Josh White, Woods
and Stortz.
The Big South Conference Tournament
take place in Conway, S.C. on May 20-23.
For more articles on UNCA baseball check out The
Banner Online @ www.unca.edu/banner
Credito, Martin, Miller receive
tJNCA student-athlete awards
Andrew Pearson
Sports Editor
The UNCA athletics department
recognized three of its athletes for
heir accomplishments during its
'tudent-Athletes Awards Banquet
'eld on May 2.
Kevin Martin, a senior forward
or the UNCA men’s basketball
cam was named Male Athlete of
he Year with women’s soccer player
Mackenzie Miller taking the honor
>n the women’s side.
In addition, senior center Candy
-redito garnered the department s
>cholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Martin, the Big South Confer-
nce Player of the Year for 1998-99
ed UNCA in scoring, rebounding,
ssists, free throws and free throws
ttempted this season.
Miller, a senior forward finished
ler four years at UNCA as the all-
I itne leading scorer for women s
dential Honor Roll and has made
the Big South’s all-academic team
for women’s basketball twice. In
the fall of‘98, Credito was awarded
a post-graduate Rotary Scholarship,
which she will use to study in Ger
many.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNCA ATHLETICS
Mackenzie Miller
soccer with 95 points and 39 goals.
This past season, she led UNCA
with 21 points and nine goals. Five
of those goals were game-winning
shots, including four in overtime.
Credito has started at center for
two years under the guidance of
UNCA head coach Kathleen We
ber.
She has been a four-year member
of the Big South Conference’s Presi
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