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FINAL: UNC Asheville 7 (1-2), Ohio (2-1) 5 - Asheville, N.C. (Greenwood Field)

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

UNC ASHEVILLE STARTERS: Carmine Pagano (SS), Lucas Owens (2B), Pete Guy (DH), Joe Tietjen (CF), Joe Zayatz (RF), Justin Woods (3B), Scott Kobos (LF), Andrew Friedholm (C), Alex Baratta (1B), Jordan Carr (P)

THE BASICS
The Ohio baseball team (2-1) could not overcome an early four-run deficit, falling to UNC Asheville (1-2), 7-5, on Sunday (Feb. 21) in the series finale of the three-game weekend set at Greenwood Field in Asheville, N.C.

The Bobcats still won the opening-weekend series by virtue of a 12-5 win in the 2016 season opener on Friday (Feb. 19) that was followed by a 14-8 victory on Saturday (Feb. 20).

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Bobcats lost despite outhitting the Bulldogs, 10-8. Ohio left nine runners on base while allowing seven walks by UNC Asheville.
• Senior third baseman John Adryan (Delran, N.J.) went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.
• Junior second baseman Ty Black (Waynesville, Ohio) tallied a double and two singles while driving in a run and scoring another.
• Junior shortstop Tyler Finkler (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) produced two doubles and a run scored from the No. 9 spot in the batting order.
• Senior right-handed starting pitcher Connor Sitz (Westerville, Ohio) was saddled with the pitching loss for Ohio, striking out one but allowing four earned runs on one hit and four walks in 1.1 innings.
• Senior right-handed reliever Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio) fanned seven over 3.2 frames of work while surrendering two earned runs on three hits and two walks.
• After missing the entire 2015 season with an injury, redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Roehn (Sandwich, Ill.) made his return to the mound, throwing 1.1 innings of relief and striking out one while giving up an earned run on two hits.
• Junior right-handed pitcher Michael Klein (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) made his second-straight appearance out of the bullpen for the Bobcats, tossing 1.2 scoreless frames. He struck out one and allowed two hits and a walk.
• Senior second baseman Lucas Owens put together UNC Asheville's lone multi-hit effort of the afternoon, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.
• Freshman catcher Andrew Friedholm homered, walked twice and accounted for two RBI and two runs scored for the Bulldogs.
• Freshman southpaw starting pitcher Jordan Carr picked up the pitching win for UNC Asheville, striking out four while allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks over six innings.
• Freshman right-handed pitchers Eric Whitecavage and Zach Greene combined to loss two scoreless frames in relief for the Bulldogs. Whitecavage struck out one and allowed a hit in 0.2 frames while Greene threw 1.1 innings and fanned one and gave up two hits.
• Senior left-hander Adam Spracklin gave up two earned runs on two hits in 0.2 relief innings. He struck out two for UNC Asheville.
• Senior left-handed reliever Lucas Clarke got the final out in the top of the ninth inning for the Bulldogs to pick up the save.
• UNC Asheville put up a four spot in the bottom of the second inning to break the contest open early. Junior center fielder Joe Tietjen got things started with a leadoff double to center. Junior right fielder Joe Zayatz and junior third baseman Justin Woods followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases with Bulldogs. Tietjen scored the first run of the game on an RBI ground out by freshman left fielder Scott Kobos. Zayatz then scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. After Woods moved to third on a wild pitch, he scored the third run of the game on an Ohio error. Friedholm and freshman first baseman Alex Baratta coaxed back-to-back walks. One out later, Friedholm made it 4-0 when he scored on a base hit down the left field line by Owens.
• The Bobcats countered by cutting UNC Asheville's lead in half in the ensuing frame. Finkler sent a leadoff double to left and scored one out later on a base hit back up the middle by Black. Black then scored to make it a 4-2 contest one out later on a single to left by Adryan.
• UNC Asheville made it a four-run affair again with two runs in fourth as Kobos led off with a walk and stole second to set the stage for a two-run home run to left by Friedholm.
• Ohio shaved UNC Asheville's lead to 6-3 in the sixth when junior left fielder Mitch Longo (Mayfield, Ohio) drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a double down the left field line by Adryan and scored an error by the Bulldogs.
• The Bulldogs plated their seventh run in the bottom of the seventh when Lucas sent a one-out double down the right field line and scored on a single up the middle by senior designated hitter Pete Guy.
• The Bobcats scored two runs in the top of the eighth to make it a two-run game. Adryan led off with a double to right center, then scored one out later on a single to right by sophomore right fielder Tony Giannini (Carmel, Ind.). Giannini advanced to second when freshman pinch hitter Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a ground out by junior pinch hitter Spencer Ibarra (Fort Collins, Colo.) and then scored on a wild pitch to make it a 7-5 ballgame.
• UNC Asheville threatened to add on to its lead in the home half of the eighth as Woods and junior right fielder Kyle Carruthers opened the frame with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Friedholm followed with a walk to fill the bases for the Bulldogs, but Klein got Baratta to ground into a 6-2-3 double play and freshman shortstop Carmine Pagano to ground out to first to keep Ohio's hopes of a ninth-inning comeback alive.
• Black and Longo hit back-to-back one out singles for Ohio in the top of the ninth, but Adryan popped up to first and redshirt senior designated hitter/catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) flew out to center to end the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Bobcats finished the weekend hitting .371 with 12 doubles as a team.
• Rott hit a team-best .714 on the opening weekend of the 2016 season with five hits -- including two doubles and a home run -- to go along with a team-high six RBI.
• Black logged a team-high nine hits for Ohio over the weekend.
• Adryan compiled a team-high eight runs scored in addition to six hits -- including a team-high three doubles -- to go along with three walks and four RBI.
• Longo recorded four hits -- including a double -- to go along with a team-high five walks as well as three RBI and five runs scored.
• Mrosola made his first career start at catcher for the Bobcats on Sunday.

UP NEXT
The Bobcats head south to Birmingham, Ala., for a three-game series against UAB next weekend (Feb. 26-28).

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