Diamond 'Dogs Take Rubber Match, 10-2, Over Coastal Carolina Sunday
April 27, 2014 | Baseball
The win marked the first time Gardner-Webb (19-23, 9-11 Big South) had taken a series from the Chanticleers (22-23, 12-9 Big South) since the two teams began playing in 2009.
The Runnin' Bulldogs led 4-2 after five innings, and put the game away in the sixth.
Hunter Smith reached via an error to lead off the frame, and Henry Rundio followed with a single to right. Alex Newman hit a ground ball to short, and throw to third base in an attempt to cut down Smith was late, loading the bases.
JJ Nazzaro hammered a 1-0 fastball to the fence in left center to clear the bases, putting the Runnin' Bulldogs up 7-2. Coastal Carolina reliever Brock Hunter came on to end the rally, getting a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.
The Runnin' Bulldogs struck for three more runs in the eighth for the final margin, with Nazzaro slicing a single to left to lead off the rally. Nazzaro stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and stole home with two outs in the inning for an 8-2 lead.
Scott Coleman, who had walked with one out, raced home on a wild pitch for a 9-2 lead and Scott Johnson - who had walked with two outs - also scored on a wild pitch for a 10-2 advantage.
Gardner-Webb relief man Brad Haymes got a pop up and a game-ending double play in the ninth to seal the win. Haymes came on with two men on in the eighth and no outs, and coaxed a shallow fly ball and struck out a pair of batters to keep the lead at five runs.
The 'Dogs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a pair of two-out hits. Coleman bashed a double into the left field corner, and scored on Matt Simmons' RBI single to right.
The Runnin' Bulldogs rapped out four singles in the third inning to go up 3-0, getting another RBI single from Simmons and a sacrifice fly RBI from Johnson. Newman led off the inning by legging out an infield single and Tyler Best poked a single into right with one away. Coleman then singled to load the bases, and Simmons drove in Newman with a hit to right.
Johnson drove a ball deep to center to plate Best, before Coastal starter Chase Adkins could get his squad back into the dugout.
The Chanticleers wouldn't go away easily.
Coastal Carolina cut the lead to one run in the fourth when Tyler Chadwick led off with a single and scored on a two-run home run by Jake Kane that left the park quickly in right field.
Newman helped Gardner-Webb extend its lead again in the fourth, driving home Rundio with a single. Smith led off the frame with a single, but was thrown out on Rundio's bunt at second base.
That margin remained the same until the outburst in the bottom of the sixth.
Erik Heiligenstadt (3-5) picked up the mound win for Gardner-Webb with a strong performance, scattering four hits and allowing just two runs in 7.0 innings of work (three strikeouts).
Nazzaro (2-for-5, 2B, 2 SB, 3 RBI), Coleman (2-for-3, 2B, 2 run), Simmons (2-for-5, 2 RBI), Smith (2-for-4, run) and Newman (2-for-4, 2 runs, RBI) combined for 10 of Gardner-Webb's 13 hits. Best (1-for-5, run), Johnson (1-for-2, run, RBI) and Rundio (1-for-4, 2 runs) also collected safeties in the game.
Adkins (1-4) took the loss for the Chanticleers, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits in 5.0 innings of work. Hunter and Andrew Beckwith each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for Coastal.
Kane (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) had a pair of hits and drove in both Coastal Carolina runs with his first career home run.
Gardner-Webb remains home on Wednesday night, hosting Furman at 6:00 pm.
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