FARMVILLE, Va. – Redshirt sophomore Matt Ilgenfritz blasted two homeruns while notching three RBIs, guiding the Gardner-Webb (12-15, 2-5) baseball team to a 7-5 win during game one of a three-game set at Longwood (8-18, 3-1) on Friday evening inside Buddy Bolding Stadium.
Dale Francis Jr. joined the long ball parade, connecting on his team-leading 12th of the season. Nick Capozzi drove in two runs for GWU while Garrett Macias also tallied an RBI for the Runnin' Bulldogs who snapped a six-game skid.
John Pfeffer picked up his second win of the year, tossing 3.0 innings while striking out four batters. Dominic Guzman earned the save after collecting the final out of the contest.
Gardner-Webb pushed ahead early in the contest with a single run in the first inning. Ryan Kennell and Tanner Thomas started the frame with base hits before Francis Jr. drew a walk to load the bases. Macias then used a keen eye to work a full count before earning a free pass and RBI.
After scoring went stale over the next three and a half innings, Longwood was able breakthrough on the scoreboard with a run of its own following a throwing error by the 'Dawgs defense.
That deadlock did not last long as GWU used the long ball in the top of the fifth to regain the lead after Francis, Jr. and Ilgenfritz each went deep, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs a 3-1 advantage.
However, Longwood once again knotted the contest with two runs in the bottom of the sixth after Nathan Lancianse roped a two out, two-RBI double.
Ilgenfritz was at it again in the visitor's half of the seventh, connecting on his second homerun of the game, this time a two-run blast that scored Macias who singled after a dropped foul ball error on the Lancers catcher.
The Runnin' Bulldogs added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth following a two-RBI double off the bat of Capozzi that scored Carson Willoughby and Ilgenfritz. Those runs proved key as Longwood scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, but Guzman came in with two outs and forced the Lancers to strand the bases loaded with a huge strikeout to end the game.
Game two of the series is set for tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. Nick Viera will take the mound for Gardner-Webb while the Lancers plan to throw Guillermo Garcia.
