GWU Drops 4-2 Decision At Winthrop Thursday Night
May 15, 2009 | Baseball
ROCK HILL, S.C.
– Winthrop scored three runs in the second and outlasted
Gardner-Webb, 4-2, Thursday night at Winthrop Ballpark.
Gardner-Webb (24-23, 12-13 Big South) fell to 0-8 against Winthrop
(31-22, 17-8 Big South) since moving up to NCAA Division I. The
Diamond ‘Dogs struggled at the plate for much of the night,
going 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position and striking out 16
times as a team (eight with runners in scoring position). Eagles'
starter Matteo D'Angelo (7-2), a sophomore from Bologna, Italy,
carved up the Diamond ‘Dogs through 5.1 shutout innings,
fanning nine batters and walking just one while pitching around
five hits (two doubles). D'Angelo left the game after allowing a
one-out double to Justin Loyd in the sixth with an apparent blister
on his pitching hand. The move to the bullpen did little to help
the GWU bats, as reliever Robert Lake came in to record a strikeout
and a ground ball out to retire the Bulldogs and keep the shutout
intact. GWU starter Brett Stackhouse (5-5) was solid in a
pitch-count start, allowing just one earned run in the second
inning flurry by Winthrop before exiting after 4.0 innings of work.
Stackhouse scattered five hits and walked three in his appearance.
Winthrop loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth,
but failed to score after collecting three singles. A line drive to
right was hauled in by Jon Ahearn and the Eagles' runner at third
held up on a good throw from the outfield for the second out of the
frame. Reliever Michael Lewis got a strikeout to end the threat.
Ahearn led off the seventh with a single through the right side,
and Matt Rizzuto tried to start a rally with a bloop single that
fell in right to put two on board with no outs. A sacrifice bunt
moved both into scoring position – but Winthrop coaxed a pop
fly to second base and another strikeout – GWU's sixth with
runners in scoring position on the night - to end the brief threat.
Winthrop nearly put the game away in the bottom half of the
seventh, with a sharp double to left by Eddie Rohan following a
leadoff single by Kevin Nolan to put runners at second and third.
Lewis got a line drive to shortstop to get an out on the board, but
Chas Crane rolled a single through a drawn in infield to plate
Nolan for a 4-0 lead. Brock Miller came up throwing on the play,
and cut down Rohan by two steps at the plate to keep the score
within reach. Aaron Miller ended the inning with a diving stop at
third to prevent another run from scoring. Loyd was hit by a pitch
to lead off the eighth, and scored on a long double to center by
Kurt Fulginiti to break up the shutout. Ty Boyles followed by
reaching on a throwing error, and Fulginiti trimmed the lead to 4-2
by darting home when the throw got away at first base. A batter's
interference call on a bunt attempt by Aaron Miller was the first
out, and Winthrop closer Tyler Mizenko fanned Ahearn for the second
out. Matt Rizzuto reached on a catcher's interference call to put
the tying run on board, but Mizenko recovered to fan Tyler Johnson
on a payoff pitch to end the inning. GWU got through the bottom of
the eighth still down 4-2, but Mizenko had no trouble with the
‘Dogs in the top of the ninth – striking out two more and
sitting down the side in order for his 12th save of the season.
Gardner-Webb managed eight hits on the night, with Aaron Miller
(2-for-4, 2B) the lone batter with more than one base knock. John
Murrian went 3-for-4 to pace Winthrop's 13-hit attack. The two
teams are set to meet in game two of the series at 6 pm ET Friday
night.
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