Diamond 'Dogs Drop Heartbreaker At Furman, 4-3, Tuesday
April 22, 2009 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Campbell Lewis delivered a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth, giving Furman a 4-3 win over Gardner-Webb in a heartbreaker for the Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb (20-16) went up 2-0 early, as Brock Miller and Daniel Cooke led off the game with hits. Justin Loyd delivered a sacrifice fly to drive home Miller for a 1-0 lead, then Kurt Fulginiti belted an RBI double to plate Cooke for the early edge.
Furman (17-20) struck back in the third, getting a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half, then a solo home run by Matt Hemingway with two outs to tie the game, 2-2.
Gardner-Webb collected hits and had its chances in the later innings, but couldn't string together a rally – stranding eight men on the evening.
Furman took the lead on a controversial play at the plate in the fifth. With one out and speedster Marcus Rose on third base, Justin Hollway struck out swinging, but took off for first when the ball hit the dirt. He was thrown out easily for the second out, but Rose broke for home on the throw. First baseman Kurt Fulginiti's throw to the plate was on time, and on target, but Rose was ruled safe – giving the Paladins a 3-2 edge.
Cooke drove in Brock Miller with an RBI knock in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but Gardner-Webb could not push back in front.
The GWU bullpen mowed through the Paladins' lineup until the bottom of the ninth, when Lewis led off with his second walk-off home run of the season, a 2-1 fastball.
Gardner-Webb managed 10 hits in the game, with Brock Miller leading the way by going 3-for-5 with a pair of steals. Cooke (2-for-5) and Tyler Johnson (2-for-3) also had a pair of safeties.
Lewis had three of Furman's seven hits in the game.
Brooks (0-3) took the loss, despite allowing just one hit in an inning that spanned the eighth and the first batter of the ninth. Jake Watts worked 5.0 innings in his second career start and allowed just three runs on five hits. Mike Lewis worked 2.0 scoreless innings out of the pen.
Closer Spencer Hale (5-2) got the win in 1.2 innings of relief work for Furman.
Gardner-Webb will host Big South leader Liberty on Friday, April 24, at 3 pm ET on Masters Field.
