GREENSBORO, N.C. – Gardner-Webb rapped out 12 hits and cruised to a 9-3 road win at UNC Greensboro on Tuesday night in non-conference baseball action.
The win completed a season sweep of the Spartans for the Runnin' Bulldogs (23-12).
Gardner-Webb wasted little time recovering from an early 1-0 deficit, plating three runs in the second inning to take control of the game.
Nate Anderson led off with a walk on seven pitches and moved to third on
Peter Capobianco's single into left. A walk to
Jacob McCaskey loaded the bases and
Ryan Kennell belted a two-run, ground rule double into the gap in right center for a 2-1 lead.
An RBI groundout from
Jacob Marcos plated McCaskey for a 3-1 lead.
The Runnin' Bulldogs put the game out of the reach in the sixth and pulled ahead even further with three runs in the seventh.
Alec Burns led off the sixth with a single into left and
Mark Black bunted for a hit to begin the rally. Another bunt, this time from the speedy Anderson, loaded the bases.
McCaskey coaxed a walk to drive in a run and
Trevor Mattson made the score 5-1 with a sacrifice fly before Greensboro could get out of the jam.
Curtis Robison led off the top of the seventh with a triple to the opposite field and scored on Burns' sacrifice fly for a 6-1 lead. After Black was hit by a pitch, Anderson smacked a single down the line in left to put runners on the corners.
Capobianco loaded the bases with a single and Black scored soon after on a wild pitch for a 7-1 lead. McCaskey added another sacrifice fly to give Gardner-Webb an 8-1 lead.
UNC Greensboro got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the eighth, but
Nate Anderson scored on a wild pitch for the final margin in the top of the ninth.
Burns (2-for-4), Anderson (2-for-4), Capobianco (2-for-4) and Kennell (2-for-3) each had a pair of hits for the Runnin' Bulldogs and eight different batters had at least one hit in the win.
Joe Miceli (1-0) was credited with the win in relief, working 1.0 scoreless frame. McCaskey got the start and pitched 2.0 innings with three strikeouts and one run allowed. He scattered two hits and walked one.
Lenny Washington tossed two scoreless innings and
Connor Maggi went the final 1.1 innings to close out the win.
Gardner-Webb will remain in the Triad, traveling to battle Elon on Wednesday night at 6:00 pm (FloSports).