Runnin' Bulldogs Friday Game At UNC Asheville Suspended
May 18, 2012 | Baseball
The game will be completed on Saturday at 1:00 pm at Greenwood Field.
An RBI double from Brad Collins in the top of the fourth drove home Scott Coleman for a 1-0 Gardner-Webb lead, and Coleman extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the eighth with a two-run home run to left center.
Benji Jackson then delivered an RBI bunt single for a 4-0 lead, when the game was suspended. The two teams waited for more than an hour before the decision was made to continue play Saturday. GWU will begin Saturday's game with the bases loaded and one out in the frame.
Matt Fraudin hurled 4.1 scoreless innings in a solid start on the mound, giving way to Conner Scarborough after a pair of Asheville batters reached base - on an infield single and walk.Scarborough got out of that jam with his squad still holding a 1-0 lead.
Asheville threatened seriously one inning earlier, loading the bases against Fraudin to lead off the bottom of the fourth. The big freshman recovered, getting a force out at home and striking out two batters to end the threat.
Gardner-Webb loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Asheville reliever Elliot Criss rolled a timely 1-4-3 double play to keep the score at 1-0.
Ryan Hodge made a nice defensive play in the bottom of the seventh to throw a runner out at the plate for the third out. A single into the hole at shortstop was deep enough to attempt to send the runner around from second, but Hodge came up throwing and cut down Eli Miller at the plate.
A leadoff single from John Harris started Gardner-Webb's rally in the eighth and, with one out, Coleman connected on his fourth home run of the season to build the 3-0 advantage. Back-to-back singles from Collins and Hodge kept GWU in business and disaster struck from UNC Asheville when Henry Rundio reached base on a wild pitch after a strikeout.
Jackson then laid down a nice bunt to drive home Collins, and legged out the hit to keep the bases loaded.
Gardner-Webb has 12 hits through the first 7.1 innings of play, with Zeke Blanton (2-for-4), Coleman (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI) and Collins (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) pacing that effort. Harris, Quattlebaum, Hodge, Will Canady and Jackson also have hits for GWU.
Scarborough hurled 2.0 scoreless innings of relief and Jeff Howell pitched 0.2 innings of scoreless baseball for GWU.
UNC Asheville has eight hits in the game, with Miller going 3-for-3 and Billy Creighton going 2-for-4. Ace Ryan Dull allowed just one run on five hits in 5.0 innings (three strikeotus). Criss allowed three runs on six hits in 2.1 innings of work before giving way to Adam Spracklin just before the delay.
Following the completion of the suspended game on Saturday, Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville will close out the series with its regular scheduled third game.
