GWU Falls, 3-0, In Big South First Round To Top-Seed Liberty
May 20, 2014 | Baseball
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Gardner-Webb brought the go-ahead run to the plate with no outs in the ninth, but could not break up the shutout in a 3-0 loss to top-seed Liberty in its 2014 Big South Tournament opener.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (24-30) will play the loser of #4 High Point and #5 Radford on Wednesday morning in an elimination game. The game will begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the #3 Campbell/#7 Charleston Southern elimination game – which begins at 9:30 am.
Liberty (40-14) plated two runs in the third inning to take the lead for good.
Dylan Allen drew a one-out walk on four pitches and scored on Ashton Perritt's double to left center for a 1-0 advantage. Perritt moved to third on an errant relay and later scored an unearned run on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
A pair of singles led to another run in the fourth, with Ryan Seiz leading off with a bloop to centerfield and scoring after a sacrifice bunt and a hit up the middle by Dalton Britt.
Gardner-Webb got a pair on board in the eighth with two outs to get the tying run to the plate – with Ryan Hodge roping a single and Scott Coleman walking. Liberty starter Trey Lambert got out of the inning with a groundball out.
The game was delayed at 6:54 pm for 20 minutes due to a sun delay and severe glare.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came out of the delay and got back into the dugout quickly – as reliever Easton Welch retired the Flames in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Gardner-Webb nearly pulled off another miraculous comeback – loading the bases to start the top of the ninth after a single from Scott Johnson, a walk to pinch hitter Collin Thacker and an infield single by Hunter Smith in succession.
Liberty reliever Matt Marsh recorded back-to-back strikeouts to calm the threat – and got a fly ball to end the game with the bases juiced.
Lambert (11-2), the Big South's Pitcher of the Year, allowed just four hits through 7.2 shutout innings, striking out five and scattering four hits. Marsh recorded the save.
The Flames had eight hits in the game, with Perritt (2-of-3) and Britt (2-of-3) pacing that offensive effort.
Matt Fraudin (4-7) took the loss for Gardner-Webb, despite tossing 7.0 solid innings with five strikeouts and one walk issued – and allowing two earned runs. Hodge (2-for-4) paced Gardner-Webb offensively, and is batting a robust .428 (12-of-28) in eight career Big South Tournament games. Matt Simmons (1-for-4, 2B), Henry Rundio (1-for-4), Johnson (1-for-4) and Smith (1-for-4) also had hits for the 'Dogs.
