Box Score Box Score   

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – North Carolina Central University and UNC Asheville lit up the scoreboard with the teams combining for 36 hits at Greenwood Baseball Field, as the Bulldogs edged the Eagles 17-16 on Tuesday night, April 21.
 
The 16 runs scored for the Eagles is a modern-era record for most runs scored in a loss.
 
NCCU (19-21) started the fireworks display early, posting a five-run inning in the second.  The Eagles stuffed the bases with one out, allowing Jacobi Harris (Pittsboro, N.C.) to deliver the opening salvo with a single to right field, driving in two runs.  An error by the right fielder allowed Harris to advance to second, putting runners on second and third with two outs in the inning.
 
Eric Kimber (Greensboro, N.C.) and Mitchell McCrary (Mills Creek, N.C.) drew back-to-back walks, the latter driving in the third run of the inning for NCCU.  Carlos Ortiz (Cleveland, Ohio) kept the rotation around the bases going with a single to right field that also drove in two runs, but was thrown out trying to advance to second ending the inning with the Eagles leading 5-0.
 
Asheville (17-24) utilized two-out hitting to fire back in the bottom of the second, using a bases-clearing two-RBI triple from Joe Tietjen (Waxhaw, N.C.) to pull a few runs back for the Bulldogs, making the score 5-2.  Kyle Carruthers (Atlanta, Ga.) came in as a pinch hitter and delivered an RBI single to move the score to 5-3 through two innings.

From the second inning on, there would be at least one run scored in each of the next six innings.  NCCU strung together a pair of one-out hits in the top of the third and used a passed ball to put runners on second and third.  This time it was Cory Williamson (Greensboro, N.C.) who drove in a run while reaching on an error to stretch the lead to 6-3.
 
The Bulldogs rallied in front of the Eagles for the first time in the bottom of the third, opening with a double.  A one-out double from Justin Woods (Waynesville, N.C.) drove in a run before Asheville put two runners on with still one out.  Erik Connolly (Thomasville, N.C.) stepped in with a two-RBI single, and later scored on a single from Tietjen that pulled the Bulldogs in front 7-6.
 
The Eagles snatched the lead back in the top of the fourth, sparking the inning with a pair of singles and a hit batsmen that loaded the bases with no outs.  A wild pitch allowed Harris to touch home, while the other two runners advanced to second and third tying the score 7-7.
 
The wild pitch eventually led to a walk that loaded the bases yet again, with no outs.  The next hitter grounded into a double play, but a run was able to score, moving NCCU into the lead 8-7.
 
Asheville torched the diamond for a five-run fifth inning to be the first team to reach double digits.  Connolly started the rally with a bases-clearing two-RBI double, and Tietjen chipped in a two-RBI double of his own two batters later.  Tommy Houmard (Greenville, N.C.) reached base on a throwing error that allowed Tietjen to come around and score, catapulting the Bulldogs in front 12-8 after five.
 
Asheville looked ready to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth, stretching the lead out to seven runs.  Kyle Towles (Columbia, S.C.) picked up an RBI single, and Connolly followed with his third hit and fifth RBI of the game.  Tietjen finished the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly, making the score 15-8 in favor of the hosts.
 
The Eagles were down, but not out as they exploded for a seven-run inning to tie the game in the top of the seventh.  Three hits to start the inning loaded the bases for Ortiz who was hit by a pitch to drive in the first run of the inning.
 
Ronald Thompson (Chadbourn, N.C.) reached on an error, and also brought a run home to plate the second run of the inning without a hit.  Christian Triplett (Wilkesboro, N.C.) kept the trend going with a walk that moved in another run for NCCU. 
 
Williamson reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning with the bases loaded, as Asheville opted for the out at the plate to keep a run off the board.  However, an error from the catcher allowed Thompson to score from third to keep the comeback brewing with NCCU down 15-12.  The zany inning reached its peak with Harris at the plate as he reached on an error by the pitcher that cleared the bases and allowed Harris to advance to third, evening the score at 15-15.
 
NCCU managed to power into the lead in the top of the eighth on a solo homer from Thompson, his seventh of the year, to go on top 16-15 in the late stages.

The final explosion of the game came on a Bryant two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth to put Asheville in the lead to stay, 17-16 after the sixth lead change of the game.
 
The Eagles will reload and ready for a trip to High Point on Wednesday, April 22.  The game will be broadcast live on the Big South Digital Network.