Diamond 'Dogs Fall, 5-1, To #30 Liberty Thursday Night
April 18, 2014 | Baseball
The Flames (30-9, 15-1 Big South) won their 13th league game in a row and haven't lost in Big South play since March 15.
An error with one out in the top of the first haunted Gardner-Webb (16-21, 7-9 Big South), with Liberty getting a two-out double from Becker Sankey to get a pair of men in scoring position. Alex Close followed with a two-run single up the middle, and Danny Grauer hammered the next pitch deep over the fence in left for a 4-0 lead - before GWU starter Matt Fraudin could work out of the jam.
Liberty ace Trey Lambert (9-1) made the early lead stand, allowing just one hit through the first four innings.
The Flames added another unearned run in the fourth, with Close reaching on a passed ball after striking out to lead off the inning - and scoring on a sacrifice bunt and accompanying error with two outs.
Gardner-Webb mounted a threat in the fifth, getting back-to-back singles from Matt Simmons and Scott Johnson to lead off the inning, but Lambert got out of the inning with a strikeout and double play to keep the five-run lead intact.
The Runnin' Bulldogs finally got on the board in the seventh, with Scott Coleman drawing a walk with one out. Matt Simmons reached on an infield single and Ryan Hodge drove in Coleman with a single to left center to trim Liberty's lead to 5-1.
Henry Rundio chopped an infield single to third to load the bases, but Lambert got a strikeout to strand all three men.
Gardner-Webb got the tying run on deck in the bottom of the ninth after Coleman walked and Simmons blistered another single to right, but Lambert again recovered - striking out the next three men he faced to finish his third complete game of the season.
Fraudin (2-5) took the loss, despite not allowing an earned run in 6.0 innings pitched. The junior righthander struck out eight, scattered seven hits and walked a pair. Easton Welch and Jeremy Walker finished out the game without allowing a run.
Simmons (4-for-4) had four of Gardner-Webb's seven hits - all singles - in the game. Johnson, Hodge and Rundio had the other hits for GWU. Simmons father, Greg, played at Liberty during his collegiate days.
Lambert finished the game with eight strikeouts, two walks and just one run allowed in 9.0 innings. Jake Barbee (2-for-2) came off the bench to join Grauer (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) in leading the Flames' 11-hit offensive output.
The two teams will meet again on Friday night, with first pitch set for 6:00 in John Henry Moss Stadium / Bill Masters Field.
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