Diamond 'Dogs Top #5 Stetson, 10-6, To Remain Unbeaten In A-Sun Tourney
May 23, 2008 | Baseball
DELAND, Fla. – Daniel Cooke and Jamall Kinard each went
4-for-5 to pace Gardner-Webb's 10-6 win over host Stetson at the
2008 A-Sun Baseball Championship Tournament.
Fourth-seeded GWU (28-28) is the lone remaining undefeated team in
the tournament, and will await the winner of an elimination game
between #4 Stetson and #1 Lipscomb at 7 pm ET on Friday. Stetson
and Lipscomb play at 11 am Friday.
Trailing 3-0 after a Stetson rally in the first, Kinard roped a
two-run triple down the line past first base, pulling GWU within
striking distance and preventing any thoughts of a run away for the
Hatters (26-32).
Stetson got an unearned run in the fourth to go up 4-2, but GWU
would mount its rally by scoring four runs in the fifth to take the
lead for good.
GWU helped its cause by taking advantage of a critical fielding
error by the Hatters. Kinard and Tyler Johnson led off the frame
with sharp doubles, cutting the lead to 4-3, and Brock Miller was
hit by a pitch to put two aboard with no outs. A wild pitch moved
both into scoring position – but Stetson starter Andy Mauldin
appeared to have worked out of the terrible jam.
A two-out rope to centerfield by Bubbie Spake was dropped, however,
allowing both Miller and Johnson to score for a 5-4 Bulldog lead.
Spake moved to second in the confusion, and made the score 6-4 by
scoring on a single to right by Cooke.
Brian Pruitt belted a one-out solo home run to right field in the
bottom of the fifth to cut GWU's lead to 6-5, but Kinard saved
further damage with a diving, two-out catch to end the inning.
GWU pushed the lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth. Drewery and
Kinard reached on a walk, and infield single, respectively, and
moved into scoring position on Johnson's sacrifice bunt. A fielding
error at shortstop allowed Drewery to score on batter later –
giving GWU a 7-5 lead, but the rally would be cut short. Kinard was
tagged out trying to score from third on a ground ball for the
second out, and Brock Miller was thrown out trying to steal third
to end the threat.
Cooke's two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth drove in the
last of a three-run burst that gave the ‘Dogs a commanding
10-5 lead heading into the final at bat for Stetson – which
was awarded home-team status for the game by virtue of a coin
toss.
Reliever Wes Cogdill got the first out quickly, but loaded the
bases with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate – and
that man was A-Sun RBI king Justin Bass. Cogdill would win the
battle, however, getting a ground ball to end the game.
Webster Beal (6-6) got the win, going 6.0 innings and allowing four
earned runs on 12 hits. Cogdill picked up his third save of the
season with 1.2 innings of two-hit relief (one run).
Gardner-Webb pounded out 13 hits on the night, with Johnson
(2-for-3, 2B, RBI) joining Cooke and Kinard with multiple safeties
in the game.
Stetson's Andy Mauldin (7-2) was strapped with the loss, his first
since losing to top-ranked Florida State earlier in the year. Casey
Frawley went 4-for-6 to pace Stetson's 15-hit attack. The Hatters
were doomed by 16 stranded runners in the game, and two costly
fielding errors.
NOTES: Cooke swiped two bases to take over the career lead at GWU
in steals ... The two-sport standout now has 66, and has stolen
four in two tournament games, while batting a sizzling 7-for-10 at
the plate ... Gardner-Webb improved to 24-1 this season when
scoring at least nine runs in a game, and has now beaten Stetson
more times in 2008 (three) than it had in the previous 17 meetings
(2-15 since 2003) ... Cogdill has factored into eight wins out of
the bullpen this season (5-1 record, three saves) ... Gardner-Webb
has never won two games at the A-Sun's annual championship baseball
tournament.
