Diamond 'Dogs Secure A-Sun Tourney Spot With 6-4 Win At UNF
May 18, 2007 | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gardner-Webb's Matt Tafazzoli came on
with no outs and two on board in the ninth and picked up his second
save in as many days to spark the Bulldogs to a 6-4 win over North
Florida.
GWU's win, coupled with ETSU's third loss in a row at Mercer, puts
the Bulldogs safely in the upcoming A-Sun Tournament field. The
event is set to begin on Wednesday, May 23, in Deland, Fla.
Depending on Lipscomb's next two games, the ‘Dogs could finish
as high as fifth in the standings.
With its backs to the wall, the Diamond ‘Dogs (25-30, 12-15
A-Sun) surged in front with an unearned run in the first, as Jamall
Kinard singled, moved to second on an errant throw from the
outfield, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Daniel Cooke's
sacrifice fly.
UNF answered with a two-out hit in the bottom of the second, tying
the score on Travis Martin's knock. Another base hit put two men on
board, and GWU righty Josh Drewery walked the bases full before
retiring the side with an infield fly ball.
A five-run burst by Gardner-Webb in the third put the ‘Dogs up
6-1, as a UNF fielding error proved costly – allowing the
Bulldogs to bat around. Only one of the runs was earned, but a
two-run single by Matt Rizzuto and an RBI knock by Joey Testa
chased Osprey starter John Atteo from the game.
GWU stranded two runners in the top of the fourth, despite getting
consecutive singles to lead off the inning from Kinard and Jay
McConnell.
Drewery retired 10 batters in a row to get to the sixth, but Mike
Smith and Jon Dandridge led that frame of with consecutive singles
to put the Ospreys in business. Drewery rolled a double play, but
uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Smith to score easily from third
to trim Gardner-Webb's lead to 6-2.
Andy Warren led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off the
wall in left, chasing Drewery from the game and again giving the
Ospreys life. Reliever Wes Cogdill's first pitch hit Damon Olinto
to put two men on board, and Jon Dandridge poked an RBI hit to left
after a balk put two runners in scoring position with one out.
Codgill exited with two men still in scoring position, and
sophomore righty Devin Campbell took the mound in a precarious
situation – as the tying run, slugger Jimmy Glanville, settled
into the batter's box. Glanville cut the lead to 6-4 with a
sacrifice fly, but Campbell saved a run with a spectacular stab of
a Mycal Jones' line drive to end the inning – and strand a
runner at third base.
Gardner-Webb went quietly in the top of the ninth, and Preston Hale
led off the bottom of the ninth with a chopper through the right
side for a single. Travis Martin followed with a sharp single to
left, bringing the winning run to the plate with no outs.
Tafazzoli came on to save the day, however, getting the final three
outs for his second save of the series and third of the season.
Kinard went 4-for-5 to pace the Bulldogs' 11-hit attack, while
Cooke (1-for-3) hit safely in his 12th game in a row and stole his
21st and 22nd bases of the season. McConnell (2-for-5) and Testa
(2-for-4) had multi-hit games for Gardner-Webb.
Drewery (4-5) picked up the win with 7.0 innings – scattering
seven hits and fanning three with three earned runs allowed.
Atteo (6-4) took the loss for UNF, allowing just one earned run
(six total) in 2.2 innings of work. Dandridge (2-for-4) and Martin
(2-for-4) each had two of the Ospreys' 10 hits in the game.
GAME ONE
UNF got to work early in Friday's opener. The Ospreys took
advantage of a hit batter and walk to load the bases in the first,
and made those mistakes count with a two-out, two-run single
through the left side by Preston Hale for a two-run inning. The
Ospreys went up 3-0 with a run in the second and – after
Gardner-Webb pushed across its lone run in the third –
answered with a run in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.
Bell, a senior making his final start, had little trouble with the
Bulldog bats, allowing just one run on three hits through the first
6.0 innings – throwing just 73 pitches to get through six
frames. Bell allowed one run in the seventh, an RBI single by
Justin Loyd, but had to leave the game with a blister problem on
his throwing hand before starting the eighth.
That injury mattered little, as UNF reliever Jonathan Turner
trotted out and mowed through Gardner-Webb's half of the eighth on
just 13 pitches.
Turner walked Nate MacDonald to lead off the top of the ninth,
bringing the tying run to the plate, and UNF went to closer Tyler
Stohr. The sophomore righty promptly coaxed Jeremiah Lokken into a
double play and ended the game with an infield fly.
Gardner-Webb starter Ben Campbell (6-6) simply made too many
mistakes early, hitting a pair of batters in the first two innings
and allowing seven hits through the first four frames. Campbell
finished with 6.0 innings of work, allowed nine hits and four
earned runs.
Gardner-Webb managed just five hits in the game, with Kinard,
Cooke, MacDonald, Drewery and Loyd collecting those safeties.
| GAME ONE BOX: North Florida 4, UNF 2 |
| Updated Season Stats (PDF) |
| GAME TWO BOX: GWU 6, North Florida 4 |
