ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Interstat) — UNC Asheville’s offense erupted for nine runs in the eighth inning Friday afternoon, turning a tight pitchers’ duel into an 11-0 rout over High Point at Greenwood Baseball Field.

The Bulldogs, who had lost three of their previous four games and entered with a 21-32 record, never trailed, while the Panthers, coming off a 10-inning victory in the series opener Thursday afternoon, saw their three-game winning streak end.

UNC Asheville starter Lucas Boesen pitched eight shutout innings, scattering three hits while striking out seven. He worked out of his only real jam in the top of the seventh, when High Point’s Landen Johnson led off with a double and advanced to third on a groundout. Boesen struck out Matt Kohler and Cade Ewanowski to escape unscathed.

High Point starter Ty Brachbill matched Boesen for six innings, allowing only one run on four hits. The Bulldogs broke through in the first when Logan Lowe singled, moved to second on Tyler Parks’ single and scored on Ben Green’s groundout. That 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the seventh, when Ben Hemphill singled, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and stole home to make it 2-0.

Then came the decisive eighth. Brachbill had been replaced by reliever Cole Zimmerman to start the inning, and the Bulldogs quickly loaded the bases. Lowe drew a leadoff walk, stole second and third, and Oliver Michelson walked. Green then doubled down the left-field line, scoring both runners for a 4-0 lead. Hemphill followed with an RBI single, stole second, then scored on a passed ball after Cade McGinnis was hit by a pitch. McGinnis stole second as Hemphill scored again.

Zimmerman walked Zach Swangim and allowed a single to Jake Pereira to load the bases again. Lowe cleared them with a three-run double to left-center, making it 9-0. Parks doubled home Lowe for a 10-0 lead, and after an intentional walk, Ben Hemphill singled home Parks for the final run. The inning featured seven hits, three walks, two hit batsmen, two stolen bases and a passed ball.

High Point managed only three hits in the game: a first-inning single by Adam Oh, a second-inning double by Willie Ponce and Johnson’s seventh-inning double. The Panthers put a runner on third in the third inning when Ponce doubled and advanced on a wild pitch, but Boesen struck out Brett Kelly and then got an intentional walk to Oh before Joey Allen flied out.

In the ninth, High Point loaded the bases with two walks and an error, but reliever Nic Melton, who replaced Boesen, got a strikeout and then induced a double play to end the game.

UNC Asheville finished with 11 hits. Lowe went 2 for 4 with a walk, two stolen bases, three runs and three RBIs. Green was 2 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. Hemphill collected two hits, three stolen bases and two runs scored. Parks doubled and drove in a run. Ponce had High Point’s only extra-base hit, a double. Johnson also doubled.

The loss dropped High Point to 35-18 overall and 20-10 in the Big South. UNC Asheville improved to 21-33 and 13-16 in conference play.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of High Point 7, UNC Asheville 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected High Point with a 78.20 percent probability to win. The two teams meet again Saturday in the series finale.