BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and held off a late charge from VMI to take a 3-1 win Friday night at John Henry Moss Stadium/Bill Masters Field.
Matt Simmons snapped the tie with a a patient, two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, driving home Evan Hyett and Tyler Best for a 3-1 lead. Paul Trick led off the inning with a single, then Best entered as a pinch runner. Hyett followed with a walk and both men moved into scoring position on Ryan Hodge's sacrifice bunt.
Collin Thacker was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up the double play, but VMI reliever Jack Gomersall recorded a quick strikeout to dampen the rally. Simmons stepped in as a pinch hitter, against the righty Gomersall, but was greeted by a bullpen call and southpaw Kyle Staats.
Simmons wasted little time delivering, sitting back on a breaking pitch – the first pitch he saw – and lacing his single into right center. Staats got out of the inning with the 3-1 score intact, but Gardner-Webb would hold on to snap an eight-game slide.
VMI (10-21) made things interesting in the last two innings, getting a double from Thomas Stallings off the wall in dead center and a walk to Ray Lopez to put men on the corners with two outs. Jordan Tarsovich, who entered the day with nine home runs, stepped in – but Lopez was caught stealing on a full count to end the inning with Stallings on third.
After Gardner-Webb (18-20) went down in order in the eighth, David Geary smacked a one-out single into right and Tyler Tharp followed with a seeing-eye hit through the right side to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with one out.
Righty Brad Haymes came on for the Runnin' Bulldogs, and the Tightsqueeze, Va., native struck out the two batters he faced to end the game.
Heiligenstadt (4-3) was strong throughout Friday's game, allowing a two-out single in the first – then sitting down the next 13 VMI batters in order until Tarsovich led off the seventh with a single off Heiligestadt's foot.
The Forest, Va., standout went 8.1 innings and allowed one run on six hits. He fanned five and issued just one walk. He limited the Keydets to one hit in nine leadoff chances and held right-handed hitters to a 3-for-22 evening overall.
Haymes recorded his team-best third save of the season, and needed just six pitches for his two strikeouts.
Gardner-Webb had six hits in the game, with Hyett (1-for-3, 2 runs), Thacker (1-for-2, RBI), Jacob Walker (1-for-2), Patrick Graham (1-for-3), Simmons (1-for-1, 2 RBI) and Trick (1-for-3) doing the honors.
Austin Heenan (0-5) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on five hits through 6.1 solid innings. He fanned six and walked four.
Geary (2-for-3) paced the Keydets' six-hit offensive night, collecting singles in the first and ninth innings.
The two teams will wrap up the series on Saturday, with a doubleheader set to begin at 2:00 pm. Game two will begin at 5:00 pm or 40 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. Both contests will air live on The Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com), with Ryan Bridges and Daniel Napier handling the call.
