Diamond 'Dogs Rally For 8-7 Win In Game Two Of Belmont Series (11 innings)
March 31, 2007 | Baseball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Gardner-Webb recovered from a near collapse
in Game Two of this weekend's A-Sun series at Belmont, getting an
RBI hit from Daniel Cooke in the top of the 11th, and holding on
for an 8-7 win at Greer Stadium.
The Diamond 'Dogs (13-18, 3-5 A-Sun) got 4.1 innings of strong
relief work from closer Josh Drewery, who got the win. The GWU
sophomore retired Belmont in order in the 11th, striking out
leadoff hitter Matt Reynolds looking for the final out. Drewery
(2-4) retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, pitching around
a two-out double in the 10th with a strikeout.
A one-out single in the 11th got GWU the base runner it needed,
with Tyler Johnson doing the honors. Johnson then swiped second
base, and advanced to third on a throwing error at the bag. Cooke
then singled to right, giving GWU an 8-7 lead, and Drewery made it
stand.
An RBI groundout by Jamall Kinard in the eighth inning tied the
game, 7-7, after GWU had seen a 6-2 lead evaporate just an inning
earlier.
The 'Dogs led 6-2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, with
reliever Wes Cogdill in good shape. An RBI double by Wilson Tucker
cut the lead to 6-3, and a two-run single by Derek Wiley trimmed
that score to 6-5 - and chased Cogdill from the game. Drewery came
on at that point, but saw Ben Petsch welcome him with a two-run
home run to put Belmont (6-3 A-Sun) on top, 7-6. That would be one
of only two hits that Drewery allowed, as GWU rallied from
behind.
Gardner-Webb starter Taylor Brooks was solid on the mound as well,
holding Belmont down as his Bulldogs forged ahead with timely
hitting, stolen bases and a few Bruin miscues.
Brooks exited with a 6-1 lead after 5.0 innings, having scattered
five hits. Cogdill gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth, but
recovered well until the Bruins' seventh-inning rally.
Gardner-Webb managed 10 hits in the game, with Johnson (2-for-2),
Jon Ahearn (2-for-3) and Justin Loyd (2-for-5, 2 RBI) each
collecting a pair. GWU swiped six bases in the game, with Brock
Miller collected two of those.
Belmont's Ben Meador took the loss in relief, allowing two earned
runs in 6.1 innings of relief work. Josh Moffitt gave up five runs
(three earned) in 4.1 innings of work. The Bruins had five errors
in the game.
Four different Bruins collected two of the team's 11 hits, with
Petsch (2-for-5, HR) collected a team-high three RBI.
The series' rubber match will be played later Saturday evening.
