Diamond 'Dogs Sweep Twinbill At VMI, Capture Big South Series
April 11, 2009 | Baseball
LEXINGTON,
Va. – Gardner-Webb got 8.0 strong innings from starter Devin
Campbell and rapped out 12 hits to beat VMI, 8-5, in Saturday's
opener, and saw the bottom of its batting order key a 15-4 win in
the nightcap. Campbell (2-1) threw 125 pitches, fanned six batters
and allowed just four earned runs in his second league start of the
season. He scattered seven hits and faced one batter in the ninth
inning before giving way to the bullpen. The two-sport standout,
who also started at quarterback for GWU, has been a thorn in the
Keydets' side overall this year. He passed for a career-high 392
yards and three touchdowns in Gardner-Webb's 34-27 win over VMI in
Boiling Springs on October 25. The Diamond ‘Dogs (17-14, 6-6
Big South) put up four runs in the top of the first to get its
offense on track and – after VMI cut the lead to 4-3 on A.J.
Yoder's three-run double in the third – Daniel Cooke belted a
solo home run off the rocks beyond left field to put the ‘Dogs
up 5-3. Jon Ahearn pushed the lead to 6-4 with a double off the
wall in the fifth, and Justin Loyd teamed with Kurt Fulginiti to
give the ‘Dogs an 8-4 edge in the sixth. Loyd laced an RBI to
left to drive in Cooke, and Fulginiti drove in Loyd with a single
through the left side. Campbell tossed scoreless frames from the
fifth through the ninth, when he exited after a leadoff walk in the
inning. VMI plated an unearned run in the frame to trim the lead to
8-5, but reliever Jon Ban fanned a pair to end the game.
Gardner-Webb collected 12 hits in the game, with Fulginiti leading
the way with a 3-for-4 effort and two runs scored. Miller
(2-for-5), Cooke (2-for-4, HR, RBI), Ty Boyles (2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI)
and Ahearn (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also had multiple hits. VMI (13-20, 7-7
Big South) had eight hits, with Sam Roberts, Justin Topping and
Tanner Biagini each collecting two. Chris Henderson (2-4) took the
loss, allowing five earned runs in 4.2 innings of work (seven
hits). GAME TWO: Gardner-Webb 15, VMI 4 Gardner-Webb's eighth and
ninth hitters in the batting order – Tyler Johnson and O.J.
McFarland – caught fire in the nightcap, combining to go
5-for-10 with three doubles, two home runs and five RBIs to key the
squad's 15-4 win. Gardner-Webb bolted to a 6-0 lead after scoring
four in the second and two in the third, but saw VMI charge with
four runs in the third to trim the lead to 6-4 – before
reliever Brett Stackhouse could work his squad out of the trouble
still in front. The Keydets batted around in that inning and
collected six straight hits before Stackhouse came out of the pen.
The Diamond ‘Dogs responded quickly with five runs in the
fourth, getting a leadoff double from McFarland to start the rally.
Brock Miller followed with a single, Daniel Cooke drove in
McFarland with a single and Loyd plated Miller with a high double
off the wall in right center to push Gardner-Webb's lead to 8-4.
With two men on, Kurt Fulginiti belted a 3-2 fastball over the
fence in center to cap the surge with an 11-4 lead. Gardner-Webb
kept the pressure on in the fifth, getting long solo home runs from
Johnson and McFarland to push the lead to 13-4. GWU added a pair of
unearned runs later in the inning to go up 15-4. As GWU built its
lead, Stackhouse settled in, retiring the Keydets in order in the
fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Bridgeville, Pa., sophomore
retired 11 batters in a row until allowing a one-out walk in the
bottom of the seventh. Stackhouse (3-3) picked up the win by
allowing just one single, a roller just out of the reach of two GWU
gloves, in 5.2 innings of spectacular relief work. He fanned a
career-high seven batters and walked just two. Gardner-Webb had 14
hits in the win, with McFarland leading the way by going 3-for-5
with a pair of doubles and a his tape-measure home run. Johnson
(2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Miller (2-for-4) and Loyd (2-for-4, 2B,
RBI) also had multiple hits. VMI starter Adam Kruithof (0-3) took
the loss, allowing eight runs and four hits in 2.1 innings of work.
The Keydets had nine hits in the nightcap, with A.J. Yoder going
3-for-4 to pace that effort. Gardner-Webb will step out of
conference Wednesday night for a game at Appalachian State.
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