Belmont Pummels Diamond 'Dogs, 20-2, Friday In A-Sun Tilt
March 30, 2007 | Baseball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Gardner-Webb allowed five runs in each of the
first two innings, and Belmont pounded out 22 hits altogether as
the 'Dogs dropped a 20-2 decision in Friday's A-Sun series
opener.
The Diamond 'Dogs (12-18, 2-5 A-Sun) have dropped eight of their
last 10 games since its series win at Georgia on March 10-11 - and
have allowed an alarming 34 runs and 43 hits in their last two
games combined.
The 20 runs allowed Friday are the most by a Gardner-Webb team
since a 23-4 loss at NC State in the 2002 season opener, and the
most ever allowed by GWU in an A-Sun game.
Starter Matt Tafazzoli struggled Friday from the beginning, getting
touched for five runs on four hits in the first inning after
issuing a walk and hitting a batter. Belmont collected all of its
hits in succession with two outs, using Carlo Testa's two-run
triple as the inning's powder keg.
Tafazzoli gave up a solo home run to Wilson Tucker with one out in
the second and, by the time he retired the side, Belmont led 10-0.
Two errors complicated matters in that frame, as Belmont (5-2
A-Sun) seized control of the game.
Tafazzoli (2-1) finished by allowing eight hits and nine earned
runs in his 2.0 innings of work and took the loss.
Gardner-Webb's offense sputtered as Belmont cruised ahead, with GWU
managing just four singles in the first four innings. Trailing 11-0
in the sixth, Gardner-Webb finally got on board, as Jamall Kinard
delivered a single, stole second and scored on Jay McConnell's RBI
hit. Josh Drewery - who walked with one out in the frame - scored
one batter later on a pinch-hit single up the middle by Joey Testa,
trimming the Bruins' lead to 11-2.
The hosts wasted little time chewing through the rest of the game
offensively, getting a two-run homer from Ben Petsch in the bottom
of the sixth to go up 13-2, and scoring six runs on eight hits in
the bottom of the seventh to push the margin to 19-2. The Bruins
sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh, and stranded three runners
after putting up their six spot.
Another run in the eighth wrapped up the scoring for Belmont.
Carlo Testa, who entered Friday's game batting a light .197 at the
plate, went 4-for-4 with six RBI and a pair of extra base hits.
Kane Simmons also went 4-for-4 for the Bruins, who got 15 of their
22 hits from the bottom five in the batting order.
Charles Lee (4-1) scattered eight hits in 7.0 innings for the easy
win, fanning five and walking one Bulldog.
Kinard was the lone GWU player with more than one hit, going
2-for-3 at the plate with his league-leading 20th stolen base of
the season.
Both teams will wrap up the series tomorrow with a doubleheader.
First pitch is scheduled for 2 pm ET at Greer Stadium.
| BOX SCORE: Belmont 20, GWU 2 |
