GWU Drops 10-9 Nail Biter In 15-Inning A-Sun Championship Game
May 25, 2008 | Baseball
DELAND, Fla. – Gardner-Webb bolted to an early 4-0 lead,
led twice in extra innings, but fell, 10-9, to top-seed Lipscomb in
the 15th inning of a nail-biting A-Sun Baseball Championship
Game.
After Gardner-Webb (29-30) had taken a 9-7 lead in the top of the
15th inning, Lipscomb (32-28) looked to be on the ropes – but
the Bisons, who had rallied to tie in the bottom of the 13th –
had more hits left in the tank.
Lipscomb led off the bottom of 15 with back-to-back singles, and
Jorge Gutierrez moved both men into scoring position with a
sacrifice bunt. Allen Bolden cut Gardner-Webb's lead to 9-8 with a
single through the right side, and Tournament MVP Caleb Joseph tied
the game with an RBI groundout.
Jonathon Ban issued an intentional walk to cleanup man Brandon
Bratcher, and pinch hitter Joe Pichiottino drew a full-count walk
to load the bases with no outs. Shane Simpkins then ended the game,
rolling a single through the right side that just missed the reach
of reserve second baseman Chase Bubley.
"I am profoundly proud of these young men and how well they have
represented Gardner-Webb University, both today in a hard-fought
game and throughout the season," said head coach Rusty Stroupe.
"Our team Bible verse this year was Proverbs 16:3, which promises
success to those who commit their plans to the Lord. We didn't
always win every game, but we have been blessed in many ways."
Gardner-Webb scored three runs in the top of the first and another
in the fourth to take control, and starter Webster Beal – who
threw just two days prior to pick up a win vs. host Stetson –
had Lipscomb off balance from the mound.
The Bisons rallied, however, chasing Beal from the game in the
sixth with a six-run rally – scoring four off the senior lefty
and two more off reliever Adam Bullard to take a 6-4 lead.
Facing its final chance at the plate in the ninth, Gardner-Webb
rallied to tie. Bubbie Spake drew a one out walk, and Daniel Cooke
roped a double to move the tying runs in scoring position. Kurt
Fulginiti then delivered an RBI infield single to trim the lead to
6-5 with just one out. A squeeze bunt by Aaron Miller scored the
speedy Cooke from third to tie the game, before Lipscomb got out of
the inning.
After both teams' bullpens worked through scoreless innings in the
10th, 11th and 12th, Gardner-Webb caught a break when Brock Miller
led off the 13th with a triple into the left center gap. Justin
Loyd belted a one-out double to give GWU a 7-6 lead, but would be
stranded at second.
Lipscomb tied the game by sandwiching a pair of singles around a
sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the frame, and the game remained
tied until Fulginiti doubled home Jeremiah Lokken with one out in
the top of the 15th and moved Cooke to third. A throwing error
allowed the Bulldogs' ninth run to cross, but Fulginiti would be
stranded a third base to end the frame.
Gardner-Webb had 15 hits in the game, with Ty Boyles collecting
three safeties in a grueling eight at bats. Brock Miller went
2-for-4 and was plunked three times. Loyd, Cooke and Fulginiti also
had two hits, while Spake and Aaron Miller drove in a pair of
runs.
Ban (4-5) took the hard-luck loss, working one out in the 15th and
issuing just an intentional walk – only a day after hurling
6.0 innings to get GWU to the title game. GWU used seven pitchers
in the game, including six who had seen work earlier in the
tournament (two starters).
Bolden and Simpkins each had four hits to pace Lipscomb's 20-hit
offensive effort.
TOURNEY NOTES: Gardner-Webb landed outfielders Daniel Cooke and
Jamall Kinard on the A-Sun All-Tournament Team ... Cooke batted
.455 with six steals, four RBI and 10 hits in the event, while
Kinard batted .350 with four steals and three runs scored ...
Gardner-Webb shattered the previous tournament record for total
stolen bases, going 20-for-26 on the paths over the week ... The
other five tournament participants combined to steal just 18
overall in the event.
SEASON NOTES: GWU set a new school record for team batting average
in the Division I ERA, finishing the 2008 season with a .321 mark
... Brock Miller set the GWU single-season mark for steals,
finishing with 33 ... Daniel Cooke is now second on the list with
31, but holds the GWU career record with 68 ... GWU had seven
different players score at least 35 runs in 2008 ... The ‘Dogs
also had three players steal at least 25 bases in the same season
for the first time in school history ... The ‘Dogs had just
one less win away from Boiling Springs (14) in 2008 than at
home.
LOOKING AHEAD: With an offensive lineup laden with underclassmen,
GWU should fare well again in 2009 ... Juniors Brock Miller and
Daniel Cooke alone combined to score 102 runs, rap out 139 hits and
steal 64 bases ... The duo's stolen base total was more than seven
entire teams in the A-Sun and seven of the eight teams in the Big
South Conference, GWU's home for the 2009 season and beyond ...
With the junior quartet of Miller, Cooke, Bubbie Spake and Justin
Loyd returning, Gardner-Webb will have the meat of its offensive
order intact ... Those four players combined for 287 hits, 191 runs
scored, 47 doubles, 23 home runs and 173 RBI ... GWU will have
eight regulars returning next season who batted .300 or higher in
2008.
