Runnin' Bulldogs Lose 8-5 Battle With Furman Tuesday Night
May 15, 2013 | Baseball
The Paladins (29-23) earned a season series split with the Runnin' Bulldogs (25-25-1), avenging a 6-1 home loss earlier this season.
Hunter Burton led of the game with a triple to right center, and trotted home on a sacrifice fly from Will Muzika for an early 1-0 lead. Taylor Johnson legged out a single to shortstop, Greg Harrison singled to right and both moved into scoring position on a passed ball.
A walk to Alex Abrams loaded the bases and Paul Nitto put the Paladins up 2-0 with another sacrifice fly. The hit parade started from there, with an RBI single from Chris Ohmstede, an RBI double from Griffin Davis and a two-run single by Jordan Simpson - the ninth man in the batting order. Burton then put the visitors up 7-0 with an RBI single before Gardner-Webb starter Hunter Smith could get out of the inning.
Furman sent 11 men to the plate in the first inning.
Gardner-Webb rallied with four runs in the second, getting singles from Brad Collins and John Harris to get the frame started. Henry Rundio came through with an RBI single to cut the lead to 7-1 and Danny Yelverton followed with a 3-run home run to deep left center to cap the rally. Furman starter Matt Solter recovered with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning with his team in front by three runs.
Harris led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to right and scored on a fielder's choice grounder from Rundio to make the score 7-5 - but Furman would get that run back on an RBI single by Simpson in the top of the fifth.
Neither team would score the rest of the way. Gardner-Webb stranded two runners in scoring position during a potential rally in the bottom of the fifth, and had leadoff singles erased by double plays in both the sixth and ninth innings.
Smith (1-1) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs in just an inning of work. Brock Wilson allowed one run in 3.2 innings, but fanned four batters. Stephen Gilmore, Conner Scarborough (2.1 IP), Mitch Warner (1.0 IP) and Brad Haymes (1.0 IP, 2 K) closed out the game without allowing any more runs to cross.
Drake Brown (2-2) worked the fifth inning for a relief win, fanning a pair of batters with runners in scoring position to thwart a potential Gardner-Webb comeback. Solter allowed five runs on six hits in his first career start, which lasted 4.0 innings. Jacques de Gruy scattered four hits and didn't allow a run in 4.0 relief innings to earn an extended save (three strikeouts).
Harris led a 10-hit offensive effort for Gardner-Webb Tuesday, going 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. JJ Nazzaro (2-for-3) and Rundio (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also had multiple hits for the home team.
Furman had 15 hits in the game, with Burton (3-for-4, 3B, RBI) and Simpson (3-for-4, 3 RBI) lead the way. The bottom two hitters in the Paladins order - Davis (2-for-5, 2B, RBI) and Simpson - combined to go 5-for-9 on the night. Johnson also had a pair of hits (2-for-5) for Furman.
Gardner-Webb faces a key Big South Conference series at home next, hosting Presbyterian for three games beginning Thursday night at 6:00. GWU sits a half game behind the Blue Hose and Charleston Southern for a qualifying spot in the upcoming Big South Conference Tournament.
The Runnin' Bulldogs need two wins in the series to clinch a spot in Lynchburg, Va. Presbyterian can also clinch a spot with two wins in the crucial league battle.
Thursday's and Friday's games will air on WGWG-FM (88.3 / wgwg.org), with Fabian Fuentes calling the action. All three games will be broadcast live on the Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com).
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