#1 Lipscomb Survives With 8-2 Win Over #4 Gardner-Webb
May 24, 2008 | Baseball
DELAND, Fla. – Facing elimination for the second game in a
row, Lipscomb got solid pitching Saturday morning, and Gardner-Webb
stranded 10 runners as the Bisons pulled away late for an 8-2
win.
Gardner-Webb (28-29) will now play #3 seed Belmont at 3 pm ET for a
spot in a winner-take-all title game. The loser of the 3 pm game
will be eliminated.
Lipscomb (31-28) went up 3-0 with a single run in the second and
two in the fourth, taking advantage of three walks by GWU starter
Ben Campbell in the fourth frame to surge ahead. After Gardner-Webb
trimmed the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Lipscomb
starter Josh Smith wiggled out of trouble, as the ‘Dogs
stranded the bases full.
Lipscomb padded its lead further in the fifth, with Justin Sanders
hammering a two-run home run to right field, giving the top-seed a
commanding 5-1 lead.
Campbell settled in after Sanders' home run, setting the Bisons
down in order in the sixth and seventh – but his offense
couldn't get on track – and GWU left the southpaw on the mound
for the rest of the day in an effort to preserve the bullpen.
GWU added an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, but would
struggle hitting with runners in base the rest of the way –
stranding 10 runners and going just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring
position.
Campbell was successful in finishing the game, throwing a
career-high 137 pitches, but gave up a long solo home run to center
by Ryan Wilkins in the eighth, and a two-run shot to Caleb Joseph
in the ninth to skew the final score.
GWU managed nine hits, with Jeremiah Lokken collecting three in
four at bats. Justin Loyd also had two hits, including an RBI
double in the fourth. Campbell (2-6) pitched a complete game,
allowing eight earned runs on 11 hits and striking out seven
batters.
Josh Smith (3-3) got the win, pitching around four walks and seven
hits in 7.0 innings. The sophomore righty allowed just one earned
run and fanned three Bulldogs in the start.
Joseph went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI to pace Lipscomb's
11-hit offensive effort. Sanders (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, three runs)
and Branden Cadavid (2-for-4, RBI) also had multiple hits.
NOTES: Lipscomb is 4-0 against Gardner-Webb this season, including
a competitive three-game sweep in mid-March ... Gardner-Webb's
Daniel Cooke and Brock Miller tied the school's single-season
record for steals with single bags on Saturday ... Both men have 30
steals, which ties them with former GWU player Frank Cauthen (1974)
... The two runs and nine hits are both tournament lows for
Gardner-Webb, which came into Saturday's game batting .340 in its
two previous tourney contests.
