Diamond 'Dogs Earned Split With UNC Asheville Saturday
May 23, 2010 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Gardner-Webb jumped out to a 11-0 lead in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader at UNC Asheville, and held on for a 15-14 win to gain a split with the hosts.
UNC Asheville won the opening game, 7-3, to gain the seventh seed in next week's Big South Conference Tournament. Gardner-Webb will be the eighth seed in the event, and will play host and No. 5 seed Winthrop at 7 pm ET on Tuesday in Rock Hill, S.C.
Gardner-Webb (25-29, 10-17 Big South) scored three runs in the first inning, four runs in the second and four more in the third to jump out to its big lead in the finale, getting a three-run home run from Jake Watts in the second and RBI doubles from Kurt Fulginiti and Ty Boyles in the third. The doubles helped GWU break the school's single season record in that category as a team, and the 'Dogs finished the day with 140 doubles - four more than the 136 hit by the 2000 edition.
UNC Asheville cut the lead to 11-4 in the bottom of the third and continued to chip away until rallying for seven runs in the final two frames to nearly come all the way back. Brock Wilson came on to shut the door, however, getting a strikeout and a ground out to end the game for his first save of the season.
Emilio Pagan (2-2) picked up the win, hurling 2.1 innings at the front end of a staff game for the Runnin' Bulldogs pitchers.
Watts (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI), Aaron Miller (3-for-5, 2B, 4 RBI) and Boyles (3-for-5, 2B, RBI) paced Gardner-Webb's 15 hits in the nighcap.
UNC Asheville (17-35, 10-17 Big South) had 22 hits, with Justin Schumer going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs to lead that charge.
In the opener, Schumer (2-6) hurled 4.0 predetermined innings for the mound win and went 4-for-5 at the plate to pace a 14-hit effort - which included 13 singles.
Gardner-Webb had just six hits in the game, with Daniel Merck going 2-for-4 to lead the way. Adam McFarland belted a solo home run in the first to give GWU an early lead.
