Diamond 'Dogs Drop 9-3 Home Decision To Appalachian State
April 23, 2008 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb lost its fourth game in a
row on the diamond, as the Bulldogs continued a recent trend of low
run production in a 9-3 home loss to Appalachian State.
GWU (19-22) had beaten the Mountaineers 10-3 just two weeks earlier
in Boone, but had little success on offense Wednesday.
Gardner-Webb managed only eight hits in the game against the
Mountaineers (21-22), who saw Zach Quate and reliever Taylor Miller
combine to fan 12 Bulldog batters on the afternoon.
Quate (4-2) got the win, allowing three runs on seven hits and
fanning seven in 6.0 innings of work. Miller closed the game out
and earned a three-inning save after fanning five batters.
The win was only the third for Appalachian State over GWU since the
2003 season.
Gardner-Webb freshman Nick Brown made his first career start, and
cruised through the first two innings without damage – but a
pair of infield singles helped Appalachian State get on the board
quickly in the third.
Rand Smith beat out a chopper to third, and Jason Altenhof laid
down a bunt that he beat to first as well. After a passed ball and
a stolen base, both men sat in scoring position, and Wes Hobson
touched his second double of the day into left center –
scoring both for a 2-0 lead. David Rubenstein then hit a two-run
shot over the wall in left, pushing the lead to 4-0 with no outs.
After Brown walked Isaac Harrow on four pitches, GWU went quickly
to the bullpen.
Lefty Kyle Paeplow got the call, and – after Harrow was caught
stealing – fanned Jason rook on three pitches for the second
out, and got out of the inning with a fly ball one batter
later.
Gardner-Webb had little answer offensively, managing to get only
one ball out of the infield through the first four innings. After
Brock Miller led off the first with an infield single, GWU didn't
have another base runner until Daniel Cooke walked with two outs in
the fourth. Cooke swiped second base, but was stranded.
Appalachian pushed the lead to 6-0 in the top of the fifth. A bloop
single by Altenhof and a single to left from Hobson led off the
inning – and the Bulldogs made a pair of costly errors to
plate both men. A one out grounder was booted at shortstop,
allowing Altenhof to score from second – and the outfield
relay was thrown into the GWU dugout, plating Hobson automatically
from second base. Paeplow worked through the mess, but his
‘Dogs found themselves in a serious hole.
Gardner-Webb's Justin Loyd legged out an infield single with one
out in the bottom of the fifth and Jeremiah Lokken blooped a single
into shallow left field to give GWU their first legitimate threat.
Ty Boyles hit the Bulldogs' first hard ball of the afternoon next,
a single through the left side that drove in Loyd to trim the lead
6-1. Lokken and Boyles would be stranded, however, as the
Mountaineers continued to control the game.
After Appalachian State pushed the lead to 7-1 in the top of the
sixth, Gardner-Webb responded with a push in the bottom of the same
inning to trim the lead to 7-3. Jamall Kinard led off with a sharp
single, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error in the
same sequence. Daniel Cooke roped a line drive to right to drive in
Kinard, and stole second himself two pitches later. Cooke stood on
third after Appalachian State's catcher threw the ball into center,
and scored on a one-out single to left by Loyd.
Quate walked the bases loaded with two outs, but fanned pinch
hitter Kurt Fulginiti – who represented the tying run –
to strand three more Bulldogs. GWU would not threaten from that
point on.
Loyd (2-for-4, RBI) and Boyles (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) each had two of
Gardner-Webb's eight hits. The rest of GWU's lineup combined for
just four singles, with Brock Miller (1-for-5), Kinard (1-for-4,
SB), Cooke (1-for-3, SB) and Lokken (1-for-1) collecting those
knocks. The Bulldogs stranded seven runners. – giving them 26
in the last three games.
Brown (0-1) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits
in 2.0 innings of work.
Appalachian State rapped out 12 hits, with Hobson (3-for-5) and
Smith (3-for-4) pacing that effort.
Gardner-Webb travels to Mercer Friday to begin a three-game A-Sun
series. First pitch is set for 7 pm ET in Macon, Ga.
