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FINAL: Ohio 12 (1-0), UNC Asheville 5 (0-1) - Asheville, N.C. (Greenwood Field)

OHIO STARTERS: Manny De Jesus (CF), Ty Black (2B), Mitch Longo (LF), John Adryan (3B), Cody Gaertner (C), Rudy Rott (1B), Tony Giannini (RF), Nate Squires (DH), Tyler Finkler (SS), Gerry Salisbury (P)

UNC ASHEVILLE STARTERS: Kyle Carruthers (RF), Lucas Owens (2B), Pete Guy (DH), Joe Tietjen (CF), Dan Wilson (1B), Erik Connolly (LF), Jake Madole (3B), Andrew Friedholm (C), Carmine Pagano (SS), Joe Zayatz (P)

THE BASICS
The Ohio baseball team (1-0) scored six runs in the top of the ninth inning to blast past host UNC Asheville (0-1), 12-5, on Friday (Feb. 19) in the 2016 season opener at Greenwood Field in Asheville, N.C.

The Bobcats took a season opener from the Bulldogs for the second straight year. Ohio posted a 16-9 win on Feb. 13, 2015, on opening day last year.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Ohio pounded out 12 runs on 17 hits and did not commit an error.
• Freshman first baseman Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run while driving in three runs and scoring two in his Bobcat debut.
• Junior left fielder Mitch Longo (Mayfield, Ohio) finished 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and two runs scored.
• Junior second baseman Ty Black (Waynesville, Ohio) tallied three singles, walked and drove in a run.
• Redshirt senior catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) collected a double and two singles.
• Junior shortstop Tyler Finkler (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) compiled two singles and scored two runs.
• Senior third baseman John Adryan (Delran, N.J.) drew two walks, singled and scored three runs.
• Senior center fielder Manny De Jesus (Caguas, Puerto Rico) totaled a single, an RBI and a run scored.
• Senior right-handed pitcher Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio) picked up the win on the mound in relief, striking out one while giving up a hit and a walk 1.1 frames of work.
• Redshirt sophomore southpaw starting pitcher Gerry Salisbury (Brunswick, Ohio) fanned three over 3.2 innings while allowing two earned runs on a hit and five walks.
• Redshirt senior righty Eddie Fitzpatrick (North Attleboro, Mass.) threw a scoreless frame in his Ohio debut, giving up two hits.
• Freshman shortstop Carmine Pagano led UNC Asheville with three hits and plated two runs.
• Junior center fielder Joe Tietjen doubled for the Bulldogs' only extra-base hit of the day and notched three RBI.
• Senior right-handed pitcher Corey Randall took the loss for the Bulldogs, giving up one earned run on one hit.
• Junior right-handed starting pitcher Joe Zayatz surrendered four runs -- two of which were earned -- on 10 hits and a walk over five innings for UNC Asheville. He struck out two.
• Senior southpaw Lucas Clarke and senior righty Parker Swindell both struggled in relief work for the Bulldogs, with each giving up three runs -- including each allowing two earned runs -- in 0.2 innings for each. Clarke allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one, and Swindell surrendered three base knocks and two free passes.
• Senior southpaw Lucas Clarke and senior righty Parker Swindell both struggled in relief work for the Bulldogs, with each giving up three runs -- including each allowing two earned runs -- in 0.2 innings for each. Clarke allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one, and Swindell surrendered three base knocks and two free passes.
• UNC Asheville took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as freshman first baseman Dan Wilson coaxed a leadoff walk and scored two outs later on a single to center by Pagano.
• Ohio retaliated in the top of the third when Finkler sent a leadoff single to center, advanced to second and third on base hits by De Jesus and Black and then scored when Longo served up a sacrifice fly to center to tie the ballgame.
• The Bobcats took the lead on a solo blast to right by Rott to lead off the fourth for the freshman's first career hit at the collegiate level.
• UNC Asheville knotted things back up in the home half of the frame as freshman third baseman Jake Madole drew a two-out walk and later scored from second on a base hit to right by Pagano.
• The fifth inning saw Ohio take a 4-2 lead. Longo drew a leadoff walk, followed by a single to center by Adryan and a bunt single by Gartner to load up the bases with Bobcats. Longo and Adryan then scored on back-to-back errors by the Bulldogs.
• The Bobcats increased their lead to three runs in the top of the seventh when Adryan coaxed a one-out walk and then scored on a double to left by Gaertner.
• UNC Asheville refused to go away, though, plating three runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-out double by Tietjen to tie the game at five-all.
• The stalemate was short lived, however, as redshirt junior designated hitter Nate Squires (Plain City, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the eighth, advanced to second on a sacrifice ground out by Finkler and to third on a wild pitch and then scored the go-ahead run on a single through the left side by Black.
• After Miller kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in the home half, the Bobcats batted around and erupted for six runs in the ninth. Longo got the frame going with a single back up the middle, and Adryan followed with a walk. One out later, Longo stole third and Adryan advanced to second on a passed ball. Rott then doubled to left to plate Longo. Adryan tagged up and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore right fielder Tony Giannini (Carmel, Ind.). After Squires walked, Finkler and De Jesus both legged out infield singles. Squires and Rott both scored on an error by UNC Asheville. Following De Jesus advancing to second on a wild pitch and Black drawing a walk, Longo drove in both Finkler and De Jesus on another single back up the middle.
• Fitzpatrick came on to toss the bottom of the ninth for Ohio. After giving up back-to-back base hits by freshman pinch hitter Scott Kobos and Pagano to start the frame, Fitzpatrick forced freshman pinch hitter Alex Baratta to ground into a double play and sophomore pinch hitter Michael Kelly to ground out to short to end the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Ohio has won each of the last four games against UNC Asheville.

UP NEXT
Ohio takes aim at a series win over UNC Asheville to open the 2016 season when the Bobcats face the Bulldogs in the second game of the three-game set on Saturday (Feb. 20) at 2 p.m. ET.

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