Gardner-Webb Drops Series Opener To North Florida, 9-3
May 15, 2008 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb dropped the opener of
the final A-Sun regular season series of the year on Friday, losing
9-3 to visiting North Florida.
Gardner-Webb (25-26, 14-17 A-Sun) scored three runs in the bottom
of the first to go up 3-1, but saw UNF tie the game in the top of
the second inning – and take the lead for good with a two-run
fourth.
The Ospreys (28-25, 17-14 A-Sun) used a four-run burst in the fifth
to put the game away, as Gardner-Webb simply left too many men
stranded on the bases (10 overall, eight through the first six
innings), and had trouble stringing any offense together.
UNF starter Ty Pryor (6-5) was solid after the shaky first inning,
hurling 7.0 complete, scattering seven hits and fanning seven for
the win. Pryor allowed just three hits and didn't allow a run after
the first. Pryor's younger brother, Tucker Pryor, came on to pitch
the final two innings, fanning two and allowing just one hit to end
the game.
Gardner-Webb starter Jonathon Ban (3-4) took the loss, allowing
seven earned runs on nine hits through 4.0 innings. Reliever Ryan
Maxa came on in the fifth, and finished the game with 5.0 innings
of solid relief. The southpaw fanned four and allowed just three
hits the rest of the way.
North Florida got a 3-for-4 effort from freshman Robbie Collier,
including three RBI. Collier scored in the fourth when a two-out
RBI single to right was booted to the fence, with the costly error
allowing Collier to score on the same play.
Gardner-Webb managed eight hits, with Brock Miller (2-for-5),
Daniel Cooke (2-for-4) and Jeremiah Lokken (2-for-4, 2 2B)
collecting all but two of those safeties. GWU batted an
uncharacteristic 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position Friday,
and fanned nine times as a team.
Cooke stole his 25th base of the season in the game, moving within
three of the school's career record (65, held currently by Terry
Wright, 1991-1994).
Gardner-Webb and UNF will meet again on Friday, with the
doubleheader set to begin at 1 pm ET on Varsity Field.
