UNC Asheville's 9th Inning Rally Stuns Baseball, 5-4

Sunday, March 10

Asheville, NC

1:00 p.m.

Temple University

3-8

UNC Asheville

6-10

Temple

UNC Asheville

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

UNC Asheville's 9th Inning Rally Stuns Baseball, 5-4

3.10.13 | Baseball

Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—Temple was one strike away from picking up its first series win of the season two times in the bottom of the ninth inning, but with two men aboard for UNC Asheville, Todd Joyner laced a ball through the right hole to give the Bulldogs a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Owls at Greenwood Field.

TU held a commanding 4-2 lead when the teams went to the final frame. Junior Preston Hill made his second start of the season for the Owls and was impressive on the mound. The native from Scottsdale, Ariz, pitched into the eighth inning. Hill's line closed with 7.2 innings pitched, in which he was charged with only one earned run on five hits and two walks. He struck out five batters in his performance.

Redshirt sophomore Zach Batchelor, came on in relief with two out in the eighth. In the ninth when he went back out in hopes of notching his first save of the season, he set the first two Asheville hitters down in order to bring the Owls within one out of their second straight win.

After allowing a single to Kyle Towles, to put the Bulldogs first base runner on, Batchelor had Justin Woods on a dull count, but Woods chopped one to sophomore shortstop Nick Lustrino, who was unable to complete the play and end the game with his fielding error.

The next three batters for UNC Asheville came to the plate and singled to the outfield, scoring a run on each swing of the bat, allowing the Bulldogs to pull off a dramatic walkoff win for the second time in the weekend series. The final four runs scored by the Bulldogs were all unearned due to Lustrino's error that kept the inning alive.

Junior Derek Peterson came up to the plate with two outs in the top of the eighth inning and nailed a single to right field driving in two runs to give TU the lead, 4-2.

Lustrino reached base safely after being hit by a pitch and senior Henry Knabe singled to right before Peterson knocked in what looked to be the game-winning run.

The two run single by Peterson was his only hit on the day as he finished the game batting 1-for-4 with two RBI's.

Asheville loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning after Hill was replaced by Batchelor.

Batchelor needed one out to end the inning, which he produced when Lucas Owens flied out center field to end the threat.

Senior Jordan Queja reached base safely for the 15th straight game, dating back to last season, when he singled to left to open the game, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Lustrino.

Knabe stepped up to the plate and singled to center to score Queja for the game's first run.

Asheville answered back in the bottom of the inning to score one run on a ground out, after a leadoff single.

Lustrino walked with one out in the top half of the sixth inning with one out. He then advanced to second and third base on two wild pitches and scored on a throwing error by the catcher attempting to throw him out at third.

Temple took the lead, 2-1, which was then matched in the bottom of the sixth inning when Phillip Treadway singled to center to score Asheville's second run.

Lustrino's 10-game hitting streak ended today as he went 0-for-2 with a walk and hit by pitch scoring two runs in TU's forth win of the season. He has now reached base safely in 11 straight games.

The Owls, now 3-8, have one day off to rebound from Sunday's defeat, as they will bus to Farmville, Va, for Tuesday's game against Longwood. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. at Lancer Stadium.