Diamond 'Dogs Secure #4 Seed With 11-6 Win Over UNF
May 16, 2008 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb needed only one win to
secure its berth in the 2008 A-Sun Baseball Championships, and took
care of business early Friday with an 11-6 win over North Florida
in the first of an afternoon doubleheader.
Junior slugger Bubbie Spake hammered two long home runs, had three
hits and three RBI to pace Gardner-Webb's 14-hit attack Friday. It
was his second multi-home run game of the season, and gave Spake 14
long balls on the year, the most since GWU's move to Division I in
2001. Spake's 60 RBI lead the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2008, and
are the most for a Bulldog player since the program's move to
Division I.
The Catawba, N.C. (Bandys HS), native launched his first shot with
two outs in the first, following a Justin Loyd single. Spake
hammered Antonio Franzese's offering deep over the fence in
centerfield, a 410-foot shot that put GWU on top 2-0.
Gardner-Webb added a run in the third on a Tyler Johnson single
that scored Matt Rizzuto, but UNF tied the game, 3-3, with a run in
the third and a two-run double by Ryan Lowe in the fourth.
Loyd, who finished the day with a career-high 50 RBI on the season,
put the ‘Dogs back in front in the bottom of the fourth,
poking a two-run single through the right side for a 5-3 GWU edge.
Two more UNF runs in the fifth and sixth tied the game again, when
GWU used a five-run burst in the sixth to put the game on ice.
A two-out single by Brock Miller started the rally and, after
Miller stole his 27th base of the season, Ty Boyles drove in Miller
with a hit to left for a 6-5 lead. Loyd walked, Spake was hit by a
pitch to load the bases – and Jeremiah Lokken broke the game
open with a sharp single that plated two more. Spencer Jones came
on in relief, but uncorked a wild pitch that pushed Gardner-Webb's
lead to 9-5. Daniel Cooke followed with an RBI knock to make the
lead 10-5 before Jones could get out of the inning.
Spake put the exclamation point on the win in the top of the
eighth, leading off the frame by hammering another fastball over
the wall – this time to deep left center – for an 11-5
lead. UNF added an inconsequential run in the ninth for the final
margin.
Webster Beal (5-6) earned his second A-Sun win in a row, scattering
eight hits through 6.0 innings of work. Wes Cogdill picked up the
save, his second, with 3.0 innings of two-hit relief.
Spake (3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Miller (2-for-4, 2 runs, SB), Ty
Boyles (2-for-5), Loyd (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Tyler Johnson (2-for-3,
RBI, run) paced Gardner-Webb's offense – with eight different
players collecting hits.
GAME TWO
With its tournament berth secure, Gardner-Webb went to the bench
and bullpen early in the nightcap – and North Florida slowly
surged ahead in what wound up an 8-0 win for the visitors.
The Ospreys scored two runs in the top of the third to take the
lead – and extended the lead to 5-0 in the seventh, when a
routine sacrifice fly play with the bases loaded was turned into a
three-run play on a throwing error. UNF plated two more in the
eighth and a run in the ninth to finish the game.
Gardner-Webb (26-28, 15-18 A-Sun) had little luck at the plate,
collecting just seven hits. Brock Miller led the way with two hits
in three at bats, including his 11th double of the season.
Little-used Osprey pitcher John Frawley got the win, allowing seven
hits in 7.0 innings of shutout work.
Ben Campbell (2-5) took the loss, despite allowing only two runs in
4.0 innings of work. Adam Bullard and Brett Stackhouse each worked
shutout innings out of the pen – and Devin Campbell allowed
just one earned run in the seventh frame.
Gardner-Webb will battle #3 Belmont in the opening round of the
2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Championships on Wednesday in Deland,
Fla. (Melching Field). Game time has yet to be officially
determined by the league office.
The six teams who advanced to the tournament will be playing for
the A-Sun's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Championships.
