BOONE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb baseball split a pair of games with Appalachian State Saturday afternoon, defeating the Mountaineers by a 12-3 score before dropping the nightcap, 24-3, in non-conference action at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
The Runnin' Bulldogs sit at 6-2 overall, while Appalachian State now has a record of 3-6.
GAME ONE
Gardner-Webb scored four runs in the top of the third inning, propelling the team to a 12-3 win over the Mountaineers in the lid lifter of Saturday's doubleheader.
Scoreless after two innings, GWU got one board with one out on a RBI single by
Taber Mongero. That was later followed by a two-RBI triple by
Chandler Redmond, who was also able to score to give Gardner-Webb an early 4-0 advantage.
Appalachian State trimmed GWU's lead to 4-1 in the bottom half of the third, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Bailey Welch.
The Diamond 'Dogs added three runs to its lead in the top of the fifth.
Mitch McLendon sent one run in after reaching on an infield error, followed by an RBI fielder's choice by
JP McGuire. Later in the frame,
Chris Clary connected with a RBI single to left field to set the score at 7-1.
Gardner-Webb added additional runs in the sixth and eighth innings. Mongero was able to score on a fielder's choice play that ended the sixth, while
Justin Kunz connected with a RBI single to center field in the top of the eighth to give Gardner-Webb a 9-1 edge.
App State attempted to spark a rally in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Welch belted a double down the left field line to plate a run, followed by a RBI single by Like Drumheller with two outs. GWU would bring in reliever
Eugene Snyder, who fanned the first batter he faced to end the inning.
The 'Dogs added three runs in the top of the ninth inning with two outs as Clary doubled to left field to plate one run, followed by a two-run home run by
Ben LaSpaluto, his first home run of 2019.
Gardner-Webb totaled 13 base hits, paced by Mongero with a 3-for-6 performance with one RBI. Kunz (2-for-4, RBI), Clary (2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI) and LaSpaluto (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) also had multiple hits.
Appalachian State had seven base hits, with Riley Smith (2-for-4) and Luke Allison (2-for-3) leading that effort.
Isaac Campbell (1-0) earned his first win of the season for the 'Dogs, scattering seven base hits in 7.2 innings of work. He allowed three runs to score and recorded seven strikeouts. Snyder tossed one inning in relief, fanning one batter, and
Caleb Bissette recorded the final out of the contest.
Will Sprinkle (1-2) was saddled with the loss for the Mountaineers, allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven base hits with three strikeouts. Kaleb Bowman gave up two runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work, and Cam Roberts finished the game on the mound for App State, allowing three runs on two hits in 1.2 innings.
GAME TWO
Appalachian State plated five or more runs in three different innings to go on to hand Gardner-Webb a 24-3 loss in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Trailing 9-0 as play headed to the top of the sixth, Gardner-Webb attempted to get back into the contest, scoring three runs. A wild pitch would allow Kunz, who reached earlier in the frame on a fielder's choice, to score GWU's first run of the nightcap.
That was followed by a two-run blast over the right field wall by Redmond, his third home run of the season.
Gardner-Webb would give up 13 more runs in the final innings, to fall by 21 runs, the team's largest margin of loss in program history. The 24 runs allowed were the most since allowing 27 at Furman on May 3, 2017.
The Runnin' Bulldogs managed seven hits throughout the game, with Clary (1-for-3, 2B) and Redmond (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) providing the only extra-base hits in the bout.
Appalachian State had 23 base hits, led by Drumheller (4-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI) and Robbie Young (4-for-4, 2B, RBI)
Landon Mitchell (1-1) took the loss for Gardner-Webb allowing seven runs, four earned, on nine base hits with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings in the start. GWU used a total of eight pitchers in the nightcap.
Tyler Tuthill (2-1) earned the win for the Mountaineers, tossing seven innings, scattering seven base hits while allowing three runs with three strikeouts. Austin Primm and Jack Hartmann each tossed scoreless frames.
Gardner-Webb returns to action Wednesday afternoon at South Carolina. First pitch is slated for 4:00 pm with live coverage on SEC Network + (WatchESPN.com).
