No. 5 GWU Knocked Out By No. 4 Jacksonville, 4-0, In A-Sun Tourney
May 25, 2007 | Baseball
DELAND, Fla. – Gardner-Webb was limited to three hits Friday
afternoon in an elimination game, as No. 4 seed Jacksonville
blanked the Bulldogs, 4-0.
Jacksonville scored two of its four runs on wild pitches in the third and fourth innings, and GWU saw its season - and excellent late-season run - come to a close.
Gardner-Webb (26-32), which won 12 of its final 17 games in 2007, finished fourth in the six-team postseason event for the second time in three seasons. GWU struggled at the dish throughout its tournament run, but had a chance to win all three games despite a .176 team batting average in the tournament. A young Bulldog pitching staff forged a stellar 3.12 team ERA in the three games - and Coach Rusty Stroupe will have the majority of his team back for another run in 2008.
Jacksonville (32-26) got all the offense it would need in the third, poking three consecutive hits off of GWU starter Josh Drewery for a 1-0 margin before the sophomore righty could record an out. A sacrifice bunt pushed two more runners into scoring position and, with one out, A-Sun Player of the Year Pete Clifford stepped to the plate. An intentional walk loaded the bases, and a Drewery wild pitch rolled all the way to the backstop to give the Dolphins a 2-0 lead. Facing two more runners in scoring position, Drewery recovered with a shallow fly ball for the second out – and fanned Brad Simmons to end the threat.
Gardner-Webb's bats remained silent and would not be able to support any form of comeback. The ‘Dogs stranded three in scoring position over the first three innings – as Jacksonville freshman Carson Andrew used a steady diet of curve balls to work out of trouble.
The bottom of Jacksonville's order proved effective again in the top of the fourth, as Kevin Ferreira collected his second slap single, and Drewery walked nine-hole hitter Logan James on four pitches with two outs. Leadoff man Chuck Opachich followed with an infield single to load the bases, Drewery uncorked another wild offering to the backstop – allowing Ferreira to trot easily home for a 3-0 Jacksonville lead. Slugger Mike McCallister struck out swinging to end the frame, but the ‘Dogs were in a major hole already.
Drewery (4-6) lasted just 4.2 innings and needed 94 pitches to get to that point. He allowed seven hits, three earned runs, two walks and threw a pair of wild pitches – a pair that led to two of those three runs.
Gardner-Webb couldn't solve Andrew at the plate, and the rookie continued to carve up the Bulldog bats with his soft breaking pitch – and had a three-hit shutout in order after 7.0 complete innings (five strikeouts).
Gardner-Webb had its chance to try and mount a rally in the eighth, but it was not to be.
Andrew walked Jamall Kinard to lead off the eighth and, after throwing a ball to start off Jay McConnell, was pulled from the game in favor of relief man Tim Brown.
McConnell greeted Brown with a frozen rope to right center, but McCallister ran it down for the inning's first out. Cooke then lined a laser that shortstop Matt Lopez snagged, and calmly doubled up Kinard – who was running on the play – to end the inning.
A leadoff walk to Opachich in the top of the ninth by reliever Wes Cogdill wound up helping Jacksonville pad its lead, as Ryan McCardle rolled a two-out single through the infield for a 4-0 lead.
Brown sat the Bulldogs down in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
Gardner-Webb got its three singles from McConnell (1-for-4), Cooke (1-for-4) and Jon Ahearn (1-for-2).
Andrew (3-2) worked 7.0 innings and allowed just three hits (five strikeouts) in a combined shutout with Brown – who recorded his third save of the season.
Opachich, Ferreira and Simmons each had two of Jacksonville's 10 hits in the game. The Dolphins advance to Saturday's championship round, and will play either Belmont or Stetson at 1:00 pm.
Jacksonville scored two of its four runs on wild pitches in the third and fourth innings, and GWU saw its season - and excellent late-season run - come to a close.
Gardner-Webb (26-32), which won 12 of its final 17 games in 2007, finished fourth in the six-team postseason event for the second time in three seasons. GWU struggled at the dish throughout its tournament run, but had a chance to win all three games despite a .176 team batting average in the tournament. A young Bulldog pitching staff forged a stellar 3.12 team ERA in the three games - and Coach Rusty Stroupe will have the majority of his team back for another run in 2008.
Jacksonville (32-26) got all the offense it would need in the third, poking three consecutive hits off of GWU starter Josh Drewery for a 1-0 margin before the sophomore righty could record an out. A sacrifice bunt pushed two more runners into scoring position and, with one out, A-Sun Player of the Year Pete Clifford stepped to the plate. An intentional walk loaded the bases, and a Drewery wild pitch rolled all the way to the backstop to give the Dolphins a 2-0 lead. Facing two more runners in scoring position, Drewery recovered with a shallow fly ball for the second out – and fanned Brad Simmons to end the threat.
Gardner-Webb's bats remained silent and would not be able to support any form of comeback. The ‘Dogs stranded three in scoring position over the first three innings – as Jacksonville freshman Carson Andrew used a steady diet of curve balls to work out of trouble.
The bottom of Jacksonville's order proved effective again in the top of the fourth, as Kevin Ferreira collected his second slap single, and Drewery walked nine-hole hitter Logan James on four pitches with two outs. Leadoff man Chuck Opachich followed with an infield single to load the bases, Drewery uncorked another wild offering to the backstop – allowing Ferreira to trot easily home for a 3-0 Jacksonville lead. Slugger Mike McCallister struck out swinging to end the frame, but the ‘Dogs were in a major hole already.
Drewery (4-6) lasted just 4.2 innings and needed 94 pitches to get to that point. He allowed seven hits, three earned runs, two walks and threw a pair of wild pitches – a pair that led to two of those three runs.
Gardner-Webb couldn't solve Andrew at the plate, and the rookie continued to carve up the Bulldog bats with his soft breaking pitch – and had a three-hit shutout in order after 7.0 complete innings (five strikeouts).
Gardner-Webb had its chance to try and mount a rally in the eighth, but it was not to be.
Andrew walked Jamall Kinard to lead off the eighth and, after throwing a ball to start off Jay McConnell, was pulled from the game in favor of relief man Tim Brown.
McConnell greeted Brown with a frozen rope to right center, but McCallister ran it down for the inning's first out. Cooke then lined a laser that shortstop Matt Lopez snagged, and calmly doubled up Kinard – who was running on the play – to end the inning.
A leadoff walk to Opachich in the top of the ninth by reliever Wes Cogdill wound up helping Jacksonville pad its lead, as Ryan McCardle rolled a two-out single through the infield for a 4-0 lead.
Brown sat the Bulldogs down in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
Gardner-Webb got its three singles from McConnell (1-for-4), Cooke (1-for-4) and Jon Ahearn (1-for-2).
Andrew (3-2) worked 7.0 innings and allowed just three hits (five strikeouts) in a combined shutout with Brown – who recorded his third save of the season.
Opachich, Ferreira and Simmons each had two of Jacksonville's 10 hits in the game. The Dolphins advance to Saturday's championship round, and will play either Belmont or Stetson at 1:00 pm.
| GAME BOX: #4 Jacksonville 4, #5 GWU 0 |
| Final 2007 Statistics (PDF) |
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