Sports
4.4.2012 1 The Blue Banner i 9
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Sophomore pitcher Dean Roland throws a pitch to VMI on March 18.
Photo by Dustin Stuart- Photography Editor
Bulldog baseball drops series to Presbyterian
Beckett Bathanti
sbathant@unca.edu - Staff Writer
UNC Asheville’s baseball
team snapped a five game los
ing streak, but dropped the ball
in their three-game series at
conference rival Presbyterian
College over the weekend.
After being shut out 5-0 on
Friday, the Bulldogs were able
to battle back and win 5-3 on
Saturday, before dropping Sun-
‘iny’s finale 6-2.
“We’ve been getting a lot of
runners on base and just leav
ing them there. We haven’t
Feen able to get runners in
from third base with less than
two outs,” Head Coach Tom
Smith said.
Before winning on Satur
day, the Bulldogs suffered five
straight losses, four coming at
the hands of conference rivals,
and two coming in extra in
nings.
Over that stretch, the Bull
dogs were outscored 36-5.
“We’ve just been in a team
slump for about the past 10
days,” Smith said.
Thomas Bess, a freshman
from Cherryville, N.C., did
not struggle against Presbyte
rian, recording five hits during
the series and driving in two
runs on Saturday.
“Thomas is a freshman who
has gained a lot from early
season experience this year,”
Smith said. “He’s able to hit,
steal bases and has played ex
cellent defense for us as well.
Smith said clutch hits from
Bess and senior Jordan Lurie
were key in snapping the Bull
dogs’ recent skid.
“Jordan came up with two
outs and runners on base and
he was able to get them in.
Smith said.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the
seventh, the Bulldogs rode RBI
hits from Lurie and Bess to tie
the game at three.
In the ninth inning, it was
Bess and Lurie coming up big
again to drive in the winning
run and another insurance run.
Hovering just below .500,
the Bulldogs are intent on com
peting in the Big South Confer
ence this year, Bess said.
“I think I speak for everyone
on the team when I say that
we’re here to try and win the
conference,” the center fielder
said. “We have the talent. We
don’t need to rebuild.”
The Bulldogs stand at 13-16
overall and 4-5 in league play.
Smith said the lack of run
support has placed too much
pressure on the Bulldogs’
pitching staff.
“With us hitting the way we
are, that is asking our pitchers
to pitch perfect, which isn’t re
ally fair,” Smith said.
Sophomore Dean Rowland
leads the Bulldogs’ pitching
staff with a 4-2 record and a
3.65 ERA.
Sunday’s 6-2 loss in Clinton,
S.C., was a prime example of
UNCA’s bats faltering.
The Bulldogs generated only
six hits, and four of them came
in the first three innings.
The Bulldogs led the Blue
Hose 2-0 after the top of the
third, before Presbyterian tied
it in the bottom of the fourth
and then scored four runs in the
bottom of the eighth to bury the
visitors.
“We need to stop putting
pressure on ourselves at the
plate. We have to loosen up
with mnners on base so we can
get hits and bring them in,”
Bess said.
Smith agreed and said prac
ticing fundamentals is impor
tant for the coming weeks.
“The bats are just cold right
now. We have to get back to
work and back to basics to
get things going at the plate,”
Smith said.
The Bulldogs traveled to Fur
man University on Tuesday and
will host Charleston Southern
for a three-game conference
stand on Saturday.
Bulldog Scorecard
Baseball
March
28 vs.
Wofford
3-4 (L)
Friday vs.
Presbyterian
0-5 (L)
Saturday
vs.
Presbyterian
5-3(W)
* Sunday
vs.
Presbyterian
2-6(L)
Tennis
Friday
vs.
Charleston
Southern
Men
0-7 (L)
Friday
vs.
Charleston
Southern
Women
0-7 (L)