BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb baseball's comeback attempt fell short and the Runnin' Bulldogs lost to High Point, 3-2, in the Big South series rubber match on Sunday.
Gardner-Webb (9-13, 1-2 Big South) had opportunities, but stranded 14 base runners in the game. High Point (6-14, 2-1 Big South) scratched across runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth to stake itself to a 3-0 lead that it would not surrender.
The Panthers scored their initial run without the benefit of a base hit. Cole Singsank led off the fourth with a four-pitch walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. He then swiped third base and scored on an errant throw into left field on the play for a 1-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb starter
Bobby Alcock recovered to strike out the next two High Point batters and limit the deficit to one run, and the 'Dogs loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the fourth – but could not score.
High Point score again in the seventh, again getting the leadoff man on board. Jackson Melton led off with a single to right and moved to second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Charlie Klingler sliced an RBI single through a drawn in infield for a 2-0 lead.
Back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth kickstarted the Panthers again, and Brady Pearre laid down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt to plate Singsank for a 3-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb finally got on the board in the bottom half.
Alec Burns led off with a single and Gardner-Webb loaded the bases again on back-to-back walks with one out to
Peter Capobianco and
Humberto Torres. Pinch hitter
Trevor Mattson slapped a ball to third base and beat out a potential double play to bring home Burns to trim the lead to 3-1.
Benino Mendella then coaxed a full-count and base on balls to keep the rally alive, but High Point reliever David Keith got out of the jam with another ground ball.
Righty
Connor Gleeson worked a scoreless top of the ninth, getting a ground ball and strikeout to trade a runner at third. That set up an eventful bottom of the ninth for the Diamond 'Dogs.
Alex Ray led off with a four-pitch walk and
Curtis Robison was plunked on a 1-2 count to bring the winning run to the plate. Burns delivered a sharp base hit into left, but the ball was hit so well that Ray had to stop at third.
Still, Gardner-Webb had the bases loaded for the fourth time in the game, and for the second time with no outs.
Bo Rusher III roped a line drive on the first pitch he saw, but the laser was right at the High Point shortstop.
Capobianco cut the lead to 3-2 on a fielder's choice to third, as Ray scampered home and Robison moved to third to leave the tying run 90 feet away and the winning run on first. The rally was halted, however, as pinch hitter
Nick Capozzi's hard ground ball to third was snagged and thrown accurately to first base to end the game.
Reliever Sean Duffy got the win, working 3.1 innings and allowing just one run on four hits. Starter Sam Garcia worked 4.0 scoreless innings and scattered four hits. Reid Viar came on for the save, recording the final three outs despite walking to the mound with the bases loaded in the ninth.
High Point had eight hits in the game, with Klingler and Miggy Echazarreta each collecting two of those.
Gardner-Webb's Alcock (0-1) took the hard luck loss on the mound, hurling 4.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run on three hits. He fanned six batters in his second start of the 2022 season.
The 'Dogs had nine hits with Burns' 3-for-5 effort highlighting that effort. Mendella and Capobianco each went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk.
Gardner-Webb will step back out of conference next weekend, playing Wofford in an alternating site series. The two teams will play on Friday night and Sunday afternoon in Spartanburg and will battle in Boiling Springs, N.C., on Saturday afternoon.
