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ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Morehead State baseball defeated UNC Asheville 7-5 Saturday at Greenwood Field.
The Eagles (8-7) jumped to an early lead in the first, plating three runs on five hits. Outfielder
Taylor Pickens recorded the first hit of the game, a triple to right field, to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.
Andrew Deeds,
Cole Cleveland and
Eric Bainer hit RBI singles to give MSU the 3-0 lead.
MSU increased its lead in an error-filled second inning. With two outs and outfielder
Duran Elmore on second, Bulldog shortstop Kyle Weston and right fielder Patrick Koontz committed back-to-back errors scoring two.
Centerfielder Thomas Bess led UNC Asheville (7-9) offensively. He had three of the Bulldogs 12 hits, all of them singles.
UNC Asheville cut the Eagle lead to three in the third scoring two runs on RBI singles by designated hitter Billy Creighton and catcher Ian Graham.
Catcher #Drew Williams’
two-RBI single through the left side in the fifth scored Luke Bainer# and
Eric Bainer once again giving the Eagles a five-run lead. Williams led MSU with two RBI and four Eagles had a multi-hit game.
The Bulldogs added a run in the fifth and went into the seventh trailing 7-3.
Lefty starter
Noah Smallwood made the start for the Eagles and tossed seven innings, scattering 11 hits and allowing three earned runs in his first win of the season.
UNC Asheville threatened in the eighth inning after Smallwood was replaced by reliever
Josh Schneider. Schneider allowed a free pass to start the frame and allowed the next two batters to reach base on a hit by pitch and a walk. With the bases loaded, pinch hitter Anthony Wright scored a run on a fielder’s choice. An RBI double down the right field line trimmed the MSU lead to two before the Eagles brought lefty
Matt Cartwright out of the bullpen. Cartwright got the final out of the inning and closed out the game in the ninth. He earned his first save of the season in the outing.
Bulldog starter Drew Spear took the loss, his second of the year. He tossed four innings and allowed seven runs, four of which were earned.
The Eagles look for the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. at Greenwood Park.
