Runnin' Bulldogs Fall, 13-5, Wednesday Afternoon At Big South Conference Tournament
May 25, 2011 | Baseball
LEXINGTON, Va. - No. 2 seed Liberty scored at least two runs in
each of the first four innings Wednesday afternoon, dropping No. 5
seed Gardner-Webb, 13-5, in the Royal Purple Big South Conference
Baseball Tournament.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (31-22-1) will face No. 6 seed Radford at 11:00 am on Thursday in an elimination game at Gray-Minor Stadium.
"Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug," said GWU head coach Rusty Stroupe. "Our guys battled despite getting down early. We will be ready to go tomorrow."
The 'Dogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Daniel Merck and Aaron Miller led off the inning with consecutive singles and Jake Watts walked to load the bases. Liberty starter Steven Evans got a ground ball double play to slow the quick start, but the ball was enough to score Merck from third. After a walk to Dusty Quattlebaum, Scott Coleman scorched a ball to left - but right at the Flames' leftfielder.
Liberty (34-22) took the lead in the bottom half, however, getting a two-out single from Doug Bream to score leadoff man Ian Parmley from third, and a chalky double down the left field line from cousin Tyler Bream to make the score 2-1 in favor of the No. 2 seed. Erik Heiligenstadt recovered to strike out Ryan Cordell to end the inning.
A leadoff triple to right from Casey Rasmus got the Flames going in the second, and Parmley laid down a nice sacrifice squeeze bunt to drive him home for a 3-1 lead. Michael Robertson then belted a two-out double to left to score Zack Haley from second for a 4-1 Flames' lead. Heiligenstadt got a ground ball to end the inning and strand two runners.
An error and a walk chased Heiligenstadt from the game with one out in the bottom of the third, and Austin Taylor greeted reliever Brandon Boling with a three-run home run to left - giving the Flames a comfortable 7-1 advantage that put the game out of reach and a three-run home run by Tyler Bream in the fourth pushed the lead to 10-1.
Evans continued to cruise, retiring 14 of final 16 batters he faced before taking a rest after the sixth inning with only 67 pitches thrown.
Gardner-Webb finally got on the board again in the top of the eighth, with Merck getting on board with a leadoff single and scoring on a one-out single through the right side by Jake Watts. Dusty Quattlebaum followed with a sharp single to left to get two men on board, but Flames' reliever Blake Forslund got out of the inning with a ground ball.
Taylor belted his second three-run home run of the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to close out the scoring for Liberty.
Adam McFarland and Benji Jackson collected hits to lead off the ninth for Gardner-Webb, and Aaron Haynes roped a two-run double to left to cut the lead to 13-4. Watts legged out an infield single with two outs to drive home Haynes for a 13-5 score, but Liberty would close out the game.
Heiligenstadt (3-7) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work (two strikeouts). Andrew Barnett came on with an effective relief appearance, hurling 4.0 scoreless and striking out four - giving him seven strikeouts in two relief appearances so far in the tournament.
Merck (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Watts (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each had two of Gardner-Webb's nine hits in the game.
Evans (7-3) allowed just one run on two hits and fanned three for the win. Rasmus (3-for-4) Doug Bream (2-for-5, RBI), Tyler Bream (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI) and Taylor (2-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI) powering Liberty's 13-hit effort.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (31-22-1) will face No. 6 seed Radford at 11:00 am on Thursday in an elimination game at Gray-Minor Stadium.
"Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug," said GWU head coach Rusty Stroupe. "Our guys battled despite getting down early. We will be ready to go tomorrow."
The 'Dogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Daniel Merck and Aaron Miller led off the inning with consecutive singles and Jake Watts walked to load the bases. Liberty starter Steven Evans got a ground ball double play to slow the quick start, but the ball was enough to score Merck from third. After a walk to Dusty Quattlebaum, Scott Coleman scorched a ball to left - but right at the Flames' leftfielder.
Liberty (34-22) took the lead in the bottom half, however, getting a two-out single from Doug Bream to score leadoff man Ian Parmley from third, and a chalky double down the left field line from cousin Tyler Bream to make the score 2-1 in favor of the No. 2 seed. Erik Heiligenstadt recovered to strike out Ryan Cordell to end the inning.
A leadoff triple to right from Casey Rasmus got the Flames going in the second, and Parmley laid down a nice sacrifice squeeze bunt to drive him home for a 3-1 lead. Michael Robertson then belted a two-out double to left to score Zack Haley from second for a 4-1 Flames' lead. Heiligenstadt got a ground ball to end the inning and strand two runners.
An error and a walk chased Heiligenstadt from the game with one out in the bottom of the third, and Austin Taylor greeted reliever Brandon Boling with a three-run home run to left - giving the Flames a comfortable 7-1 advantage that put the game out of reach and a three-run home run by Tyler Bream in the fourth pushed the lead to 10-1.
Evans continued to cruise, retiring 14 of final 16 batters he faced before taking a rest after the sixth inning with only 67 pitches thrown.
Gardner-Webb finally got on the board again in the top of the eighth, with Merck getting on board with a leadoff single and scoring on a one-out single through the right side by Jake Watts. Dusty Quattlebaum followed with a sharp single to left to get two men on board, but Flames' reliever Blake Forslund got out of the inning with a ground ball.
Taylor belted his second three-run home run of the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to close out the scoring for Liberty.
Adam McFarland and Benji Jackson collected hits to lead off the ninth for Gardner-Webb, and Aaron Haynes roped a two-run double to left to cut the lead to 13-4. Watts legged out an infield single with two outs to drive home Haynes for a 13-5 score, but Liberty would close out the game.
Heiligenstadt (3-7) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work (two strikeouts). Andrew Barnett came on with an effective relief appearance, hurling 4.0 scoreless and striking out four - giving him seven strikeouts in two relief appearances so far in the tournament.
Merck (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Watts (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each had two of Gardner-Webb's nine hits in the game.
Evans (7-3) allowed just one run on two hits and fanned three for the win. Rasmus (3-for-4) Doug Bream (2-for-5, RBI), Tyler Bream (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI) and Taylor (2-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI) powering Liberty's 13-hit effort.
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