Runnin' Bulldogs Drop 13th Inning Decision To UNC Asheville, 7-6, Friday
April 27, 2013 | Baseball
Treadway reached on an infield single with one out in the 13th, and scored easily when Eli Miller's single dropped in and got past the Gardner-Webb defense.
The win was just the third of the Big South season for UNC Asheville (15-29, 3-13 Big South), and marked the ninth loss by one run this season for Gardner-Webb (21-21-1, 7-9 Big South).
Gardner-Webb led 3-0 after two innings, and starter Matt Fraudin had a no hitter working until Robert McIntosh poked an RBI single through the left side with one out in the top of the sixth. The visiting Bulldogs had loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter before McIntosh's hit broke up the no hitter.
Miller was thrown out at the plate to prevent a second run from scoring on McIntosh's knock, but Todd Joyner followed with another RBI hit to drive home Tommy Houmard and trim Gardner-Webb's lead to 3-2.
Brad Collins drilled a solo home run to lead off the bottom half of the sixth for a 4-2 Gardner-Webb lead, but Billy Creighton responded with his own solo home run in the top of the seventh to spark a three-run burst by the visitors that left them in front 5-4. Joyner drew a bases loaded walk for the go ahead run.
Gardner-Webb had one rally left, getting a walk to Scott Coleman and a double from John Harris with one away in the eighth. Coleman scored moments later on a wild pitch to tie the game, and Scott Johnson nailed the first pitch he saw into left to drive home Harris for a 6-5 Gardner-Webb advantage.
Miller led off the top of the ninth with a single to left, moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch. Houmard drove him home on a high chopper just over third base, but reliever Conner Scarborough would work out of the jam with the scored tied 6-6.
Creighton, who came on in relief in the eighth, settled in for UNC Asheville from there - sitting Gardner-Webb down in order in the ninth and 10th, and pitching around a two-out single from Ryan Hodge in the 11th to keep the score tied. The big reliever retired the side in order in the 12th and 13th for his second win of the season (2-3).
Scarborough (1-6) took a tough loss on the mound, despite a sturdy effort. The senior righty hurled 6.1 relief innings, used 89 pitches and fanned four. He scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run (no walks).
Fraudin (ND) worked 6.1 innings and was charged with four earned runs, despite allowing only four singles and fanning eight (three walks).
Gardner-Webb got three hits from Harris (3-for-5, 2B, run), and two from Collins (2-for-6, HR, 2B, 2 RBI) and Johnson (2-for-5, run, RBI). The 'Dogs managed 10 hits in the game and stranded only seven men on base.
Creighton hurled 5.2 shutout innings, used 87 pitches and fanned seven with just one walk and two hits allowed for the win. Starter Corey Randall recovered from a tough early performance, settling down to work 7.0 innings with only four runs allowed (five strikeouts, seven hits).
Miller, UNC Asheville's No. 9 man in the batting order, proved effective Friday, going 4-for-4 with a run and RBI to pace the Bulldogs' 11 hit attack. Joyner (2-for-5, 2 RBI) was the only other UNC Asheville batter with more than one hit.
The two teams will wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm.
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