BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb (11-10, 1-2) baseball team earned a split with UNC Asheville (9-11, 2-1) on Saturday evening at John Henry Moss Stadium. After taking game one 13-6, the Runnin' Bulldogs fell in the nightcap by the final of 6-4.
GAME ONE: GARDNER-WEBB 13, UNC ASHEVILLE 6
After Asheville went scoreless in the top of the first, Gardner-Webb broke the game wide open with a seven-spot in the home half of the initial frame. A pair of hits and walk loaded the bases for the Runnin' Bulldogs before a balk brought home the game's first run.
A second walk of the frame loaded the bases once more and senior Nick Capozzi doubled the lead with a fielder's choice groundout. The most exciting play of the at-bat came when junior Tanner Thomas stole home for the 'Dawgs. Senior Aaron Morgan followed that up with an opposite field three-run homerun, ballooning the advantage to 5-0. Junior Ryan Kennell capped the scoring with a single to left center.
Redshirt-sophomore Drew Ripepi padded the lead with an RBI bunt single, pushing the lead to 8-0, but the Bulldogs came back with three runs of their own in the third, trimming the deficit to 8-3. Asheville received RBI hits from a trio of players during the at-bat.
Three more runs over the fifth and sixth innings allowed UNC Asheville to pull within two runs, 8-6. However, Gardner-Webb added insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth as Ripepi posted an RBI double before Morgan blasted his second homer of the game, keeping the ball just inside the left field pole.
Runnin' Bulldog pitching was stellar down the stretch while the offense tacked on two runs in the eighth with junior Merik Carter and senior Dale Francis Jr. collected an RBI each.
Redshirt-junior Dominic Guzman picked up his first win of the season after tossing 4.0 innings of one-hit baseball while striking out two.
GAME TWO: GARDNER-WEBB 4, UNC ASHEVILLE 6
Following three scoreless innings from both sides, UNC Asheville took an early lead after manufacturing three runs on four hits in the top of the fourth. That lead grew to 5-0 following two more runs in the fifth for the Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb was able to break through on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh, plating a single run while closing the gap to 5-1. Morgan coaxed a two-out walk before moving into scoring position following a hit-by-pitch. Kennell then came through with a hard line drive single to left, scoring Morgan without a throw.
However, UNC Asheville picked that run back up in the top of the eighth following an RBI single up the middle by Blaze Johnson. The Runnin' Bulldogs put together their best inning of game two in the home half of the eighth, cutting the Asheville lead in half with two runs on four hits.
Thomas and ignited the rally with a single down the right field line before coming around to score on a Francis Jr. double to the same spot. Redshirt-junior Ethan Liao capped the scoring with an RBI groundout.
The Runnin' Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting the winning run at the plate on a pair of occasions, but were only able to plate a single run, eventually falling to Asheville, 6-4.
Gardner-Webb will return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 18, traveling to Athens, Ga. to face the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech in non-conference action. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
