ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kevin Weidenbacher went 3-for-4 with two doubles and extended his hitting streak to 27 games as UNC Asheville downed Liberty, 9-0 in Big South Conference baseball action at Greenwood Field Friday afternoon.

Bulldog starter Alan DeRatt improved to 6-0 on the season by pitching six scoreless innings and allowing the Flames just four hits. Three Asheville relievers pitched the final three innings and allowed just one hit.

The Bulldogs (13-19, 1-3 BSC) scored two runs in the first inning and then put the game away in the sixth inning when they sent 10 batters to plate and scored seven runs. Weidenbacher had both of his doubles in that inning.

Weidenbacher needs a hit tomorrow to tie the Big South record for the longest hitting streak which is held by Jay Corrigale of Charleston Southern. Corrigale had a 28-game hitting streak in the 1999 season.

The win snapped a six-game Asheville losing streak. DeRatt becomes the first Bulldog pitcher to ever start a season 6-0.

Liberty (12-15, 1-3 BSC) was led at the plate by shortstop Aaron Phillips who went 2-for-3 with two doubles.

The home team took the lead for good in the first off Liberty starter and loser David Stokes (3-3). Kevin Mattison led off with a single and went to third on Wiedenbacher’s single to left.

After a strikeout, a passed ball scored Mattison for a 1-0 Bulldog lead. One out later, Justin Schumer singled to right field, scoring Weidenbacher for a 2-0 Asheville advantage.

It became a pitcher’s duel for the next five innings. Liberty began the fourth and fifth innings with a runner at second and nobody out. But each time DeRatt was able to get key strikeouts to stop the Flame threat.

Asheville put the game away in the sixth. Weidenbacher led off with a double and came home on Elliott Arrington’s run-scoring single for a 3-0 lead. Reed Kreiser followed with a double to put runners on second and third.

After a groundout, Johnny Martinez reached on a throwing error to score Weidenbacher for a 4-0 lead. Danny Baatz drove in a run on a groundout to push the margin to 5-0. Chris Freeman’s single made it 6-0.

Mattison then tripled to right-center, plating two more runs for an 8-0 lead. Weidenbacher completed the uprising with a run-scoring double.

The teams will play the second of their three-game series Saturday afternoon starting at 2 p.m. The game can be heard on uncabulldogs.com beginning at 1:50 p.m.