Runnin' Bulldogs Advance With 5-0 Win Over Charleston Southern Friday Morning
May 27, 2011 | Baseball
LEXINGTON,
Va. - Conner Scarborough and Jeff Howell combined for a key shutout
of No. 3 Charleston Southern Friday morning, as Gardner-Webb got
past the Bucs, 5-0, to stay alive in the Royal Purple Big South
Conference Tournament.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (33-22-1) will play the loser of No. 1 Coastal Carolina and No. 2 Liberty at 7:00 pm Friday night for a chance to advance to Saturday's championship game. The Chants and Flames play at 2:30 Friday afternoon. Charleston Southern (29-30) is eliminated.
"Survive, stay alive and thrive," said GWU head coach Rusty Stroupe after the game. "Anybody in attendance saw one of the best college games in a long time. And how about that Aaron Miller?"
Starting pitchers Scarborough (GWU) and Ali Williams (CSU) locked into a pitchers duel early, with a scoreless tie intact after the fifth inning. Scarborough got a pair of defensive gems from Miller at shortstop to keep the Bucs off the board in the early innings, while Williams fanned six batters and allowed just two hits heading into the sixth.
The 'Dogs got a pair of men on the corners with one out in the sixth, with singles from Benji Jackson and Jake Watts. That set the table for Dusty Quattlebaum, who lined a single up the middle to plate Jackson for a 1-0 lead. A walk to Aaron Miller loaded the bases, chasing Williams and bringing on southpaw relief ace Charlie McCready. A suicide squeeze bunt by Adam McFarland plated Watts for a 2-0 lead, but the Bucs ended the inning with a nice defensive play at third base to avoid a larger rally.
Jake Watts legged out a bunt single with one out in the eighth, stole second with two outs and scored on Miller's double off the wall in left center for a 3-0 edge. Miller stole third, but McCready fielded a grounder himself and threw to first to end the inning with his team still down only three runs.
The 'Dogs added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, with Zeke Blanton slicing a two-out single up the middle and scoring on Jackson's double into the rightfield corner. Daniel Merck followed with a single through the left side to score Jackson for a 5-0 lead before McCready could retire the side.
Howell retired nine batters in a row for his seventh save of the season, striking out Walt Quattlebaum to end the game. Scarborough (7-2) pitched 6.0 shutout innings, scattered six hits and overcame three walks with excellent defensive support from Miller and Merck on the infifeld.
Miller saved at least two runs early on with his glove at shortstop, and Merck cut down Charleston Southern's lone chance at a score, snagging an infield single off of Scarborough's glove and throwing out Alex Tomasovich at the plate to end the third inning.
Gardner-Webb collected 10 hits in the game, with Miller (2-for-3, 2 SB, RBI), Watts (2-for-5, 2 runs) and Jackson (2-for-5, 2 runs, 2B, RBI) leading the way. Quattlebaum (2-for-4, 2B) had two of Charleston Southern's six hits in the game.
Williams (2-2) took the loss despite a fine effort on the mound, fanning six and allowing just two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of work.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (33-22-1) will play the loser of No. 1 Coastal Carolina and No. 2 Liberty at 7:00 pm Friday night for a chance to advance to Saturday's championship game. The Chants and Flames play at 2:30 Friday afternoon. Charleston Southern (29-30) is eliminated.
"Survive, stay alive and thrive," said GWU head coach Rusty Stroupe after the game. "Anybody in attendance saw one of the best college games in a long time. And how about that Aaron Miller?"
Starting pitchers Scarborough (GWU) and Ali Williams (CSU) locked into a pitchers duel early, with a scoreless tie intact after the fifth inning. Scarborough got a pair of defensive gems from Miller at shortstop to keep the Bucs off the board in the early innings, while Williams fanned six batters and allowed just two hits heading into the sixth.
The 'Dogs got a pair of men on the corners with one out in the sixth, with singles from Benji Jackson and Jake Watts. That set the table for Dusty Quattlebaum, who lined a single up the middle to plate Jackson for a 1-0 lead. A walk to Aaron Miller loaded the bases, chasing Williams and bringing on southpaw relief ace Charlie McCready. A suicide squeeze bunt by Adam McFarland plated Watts for a 2-0 lead, but the Bucs ended the inning with a nice defensive play at third base to avoid a larger rally.
Jake Watts legged out a bunt single with one out in the eighth, stole second with two outs and scored on Miller's double off the wall in left center for a 3-0 edge. Miller stole third, but McCready fielded a grounder himself and threw to first to end the inning with his team still down only three runs.
The 'Dogs added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, with Zeke Blanton slicing a two-out single up the middle and scoring on Jackson's double into the rightfield corner. Daniel Merck followed with a single through the left side to score Jackson for a 5-0 lead before McCready could retire the side.
Howell retired nine batters in a row for his seventh save of the season, striking out Walt Quattlebaum to end the game. Scarborough (7-2) pitched 6.0 shutout innings, scattered six hits and overcame three walks with excellent defensive support from Miller and Merck on the infifeld.
Miller saved at least two runs early on with his glove at shortstop, and Merck cut down Charleston Southern's lone chance at a score, snagging an infield single off of Scarborough's glove and throwing out Alex Tomasovich at the plate to end the third inning.
Gardner-Webb collected 10 hits in the game, with Miller (2-for-3, 2 SB, RBI), Watts (2-for-5, 2 runs) and Jackson (2-for-5, 2 runs, 2B, RBI) leading the way. Quattlebaum (2-for-4, 2B) had two of Charleston Southern's six hits in the game.
Williams (2-2) took the loss despite a fine effort on the mound, fanning six and allowing just two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of work.
| Box Score (PDF) |
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