Diamond 'Dogs Rally For 10-6 Win At Appalachian State Wednesday
April 23, 2014 | Baseball
BOONE, N.C. - Gardner-Webb jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and rallied to score six runs in the final four innings to take a 10-6 win at Appalachian State Wednesday night.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (17-22) pounced on the Mountaineers early, scoring three runs in the first inning. JJ Nazzaro led off the game with a base hit and scored on Tyler Best's double to left for a 1-0 advantage.
Scott Coleman followed with a two-run home run and Gardner-Webb had a quick 3-0 lead.
Henry Rundio led off the second with a single and scored on an RBI groundout by Colin Thacker for a 4-0 lead.
Appalachian State exploded for five runs in the fourth to take the lead, getting six hits and taking advantage of an error. Matt Brill's two-run double was the big blow.
A walk by Alex Newman to lead off the sixth got Gardner-Webb into another rally, and Nazzaro's RBI single moments later tied the game, 5-5. Nazzaro swiped third base two batters later and scored on a wild pitch for a 6-5 GWU lead.
Another double by Brill in the sixth for Appalachian State sparked another brief rally, and the Mountaineers tied the score one batter later on an RBI knock by Bradley Morton.
Gardner-Webb surged back in front for good in the seventh.
Ryan Hodge led off the frame with a single and stole second, and Rundio was hit by a pitch to get another man on board. Newman followed with an infield single to load the bases - and Thacker made the score 8-6 with a two-run single through the left side.
Hodge delivered the decisive blow in the eighth, driving in Coleman and Matt Simmons with a two-run single for the final margin.
Andrew Massey and Brad Haymes shut the Mountaineers down over the final 3.2 innings - with Massey (1-2) picking up the win after allowing just one hit.
Gardner-Webb had 13 hits in the game, with Coleman (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) leading the charge. Nazzaro (2-for-5, 2 runs, SB), Hodge (2-for-5, 2 RBI), Newman (2-for-3, run), Best (1-for-5, 2B, run), Simmons (1-for-5, run), Rundio (1-for-4, 2 runs) and Thacker (1-for-4, 3 RBI) also had knocks for the 'Dogs.
Taylor Thurber (0-6) took the loss in relief, allowing two runs on three hits in just one third of an inning.
The Mountaineers had 11 hits, with four different players collecting a pair each.
Gardner-Webb returns home for a three-game Big South Conference series, hosting Coastal Carolina in the opener on Friday at 6:00 pm.
| BOX SCORE (PDF) |
