A.J. Davidiuk

April 30, 2005

Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C.--Furman scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning, four unearned, to rally and defeat UNC Asheville 7-3 at Greenwood Field on Saturday afternoon.

Asheville (11-31) held a 3-2 lead going to the ninth after coming back from a 2-0 deficit. The Bulldogs scored a run in the fourth after Josh Coyle led off with a single; Tony Wall doubled putting runners on second and third with no one out. Coyle scored on a RBI-ground out by Justin Wilkins and Wall was left stranded to make the score 2-1.

In the fifth, Evan Dawson led off with a single. He moved to second on a bunt single by Kevin Mattison. After a fielder's choice put runners on first and third with one out, Ben Kerr lined a hit-and-run single to right field to score Dawson and sent Tony Campana to third. Campana would score after Furman second baseman Spence Gibbs made a diving catch in short center field off Coyle's bat to give UNCA a 3-2 lead.

The game stayed 3-2 until the ninth. A.J. Davidiuk doubled to right to lead off the inning. Pinch-hitter Tony Maccani laid down a sacrifice bunt but instead of taking the out, first baseman Wall tried to throw Davidiuk out at third but his throw was wild, the runner scored, and Maccani wound up at second with no one out. After a fly ball moved the go ahead run to third,Nick Wajda hit a high chopper over the drawn in infield to give the Paladins the lead. A groundout moved Wajda into scoring position, where he would score on a base hit by Andrew Greene. Case Cassidy followed with a two run home run to seal Furman's sixth-straight victory.

Furman (20-20) opened the scoring with an unearned run in the third. Ben Terry singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an error. Davidiuk who went 4-for-4 on the game, hit a solo home run in the fourth to put the Paladins up 2-0.

Coyle went 2-for-3 with a RBI for the Bulldogs. Campana was held hitless for the first time in 19 games ending his 18-game hit streak. The streak ends tied with Willie Stewart's 2000 streak as the longest in UNC Asheville history.

Ben Buchanan pitched eight solid innings giving up two runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out seven but earned a no decision. Graham Baughn took the loss and falls to 2-3.

Nick Hollstegge picked up his first win of the season in relief pitching one inning giving up one hit. Calvin Hurst pitched a perfect ninth for his second save of the season.

The series will return to Greenville, S.C. on Sunday for game three. The Bulldogs and Paladins will wrap up the series at Furman beginning at 1 p.m.