Diamond 'Dogs Rally For 13-8 Series Opening Win Over Campbell
April 18, 2008 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb sent 12 batters to the plate
and scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning Friday,
rallying past Campbell en route to a 13-8 Atlantic Sun Conference
win.
The Diamond ‘Dogs (19-18, 10-12 A-Sun) trailed 7-1 heading
into the bottom of the fourth, but rapped out seven hits, drew a
pair of walks and saw slugger Bubbie Spake plunked for the 18th
time this season in the decisive inning.
Spake led off the frame with a hard single off Campbell starter
Trevor Smith, and was followed by a Matt Rizzuto single and a walk
to Jeremiah Lokken to load the sacks. Camel reliever Hunter Ford
came on at that point, but Justin Loyd greeted the lefty with a
sharp single to left that drove in two and – after a fielding
error in left – Lokken trotted home as well and Loyd found
himself at third. Josh Drewery cut the lead to 7-5 with an RBI
groundout, then Ty Boyles walked, and scored when Brock Miller's
single was misplayed in right. Miller scored on a Jamall Kinard
single to tie the game, chasing Ford quickly from the game.
Daniel Cooke greeted reliever Josh Fish with a frozen rope single
to right, Spake was hit by a pitch and Rizzuto gave GWU an 8-7 lead
with a single to left. Fish worked out of the jam by getting a
rally snuffing double play – but Gardner-Webb had effectively
seized momentum.
Campbell (15-24, 8-14 A-Sun) wouldn't be able to recover Friday,
with GWU reliever Ryan Maxa keeping the Camels at bay for the
balance of the afternoon. Gardner-Webb added four more runs in the
sixth, with Cooke driving in Miller and Kinard with a single, and
later scoring on a passed ball. Rizzuto added a two-out single and
scored later on another two-out hit by Loyd for a 12-7 edge.
Ty Boyles led off the seventh with a solo home run, his fourth of
the season, for a 13-7 lead – and Maxa continued to get the
Camels out defensively. Campbell added its eighth run with two outs
in the ninth, as pinch hitter Brian Gana doubled in Mike Causey,
but was thrown out after taking too big a turn at second –
ending the game.
Spake hit his eight home run of the season in the second inning, a
towering solo shot that accounted for GWU's first run.
Maxa (3-2) picked up his second win in two Fridays out of the pen,
working 6.0 solid innings and allowing just four hits (two runs)
and fanning four. Jonathon Ban got the start Friday for GWU, and
gave up six runs in 3.0 innings of work to collect a no
decision.
Ford (1-3) took the loss in relief for Campbell, allowing four
earned runs and four hits in just one-third of an inning (20
pitches). Trevor Smith took a no decision in the start for CU,
lasting 3.0 innings and giving up four earned on five hits. The
Camels used six pitchers in the game.
Gardner-Webb continued its hot weekend hitting, rapping out 15 hits
on the afternoon. Rizzuto (3-for-5), Loyd (3-for-4, 3 RBI), Miller
(2-for-3, 2 SB, 2 runs), Kinard (2-for-4, RBI), Cooke (2-for-5,
RBI) and Spake (2-for-4, HR, RBI) each had multiple base knocks for
the hosts.
Campbell managed 14 hits, but had 10 before the fourth inning
started – as Maxa did a fine job working through the middle
innings. Ellis Lowe paced the effort by going 3-for-4 at the plate.
Four other Camels collected two hits in the game.
Gardner-Webb and Campbell will meet again on Saturday in a
doubleheader, with the opener set to begin at 12 noon ET.
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