BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Redshirt senior Kelvin Agosto began his season with five RBIs over two games, including a two-run walk off in game one of a doubleheader that lifted Gardner-Webb (2-0) baseball over visiting Valparaiso (0-2) on Friday inside John Henry Moss Stadium. The Runnin' Bulldogs used late-inning heroics to take game one, 7-6, before stellar pitching guided the Dawgs to a 7-3 win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE: GWU 7, VALPO 6
The Beacons wasted no time putting runs on the board in the season-opener as RBI hits from Cole Lockwood and Thomas Cooper staked the visitors to a quick 2-0 lead.
After going scoreless in their first at-bat, the Runnin' Bulldogs trimmed the deficit in half during the bottom of the second following a triple off the bat of catcher Zack Thompson, plating right fielder Thad Ector.
However, Valpo came back with two more runs of its own in the fifth and sixth innings, extending the advantage to 4-1. Once again, Gardner-Webb was able to slash into the lead with a single run. Center fielder Merik Carter led the frame off with a double to right before eventually coming around to score on an RBI groundout by first baseman Matt Ilgenfritz.
Relief pitcher Jerek Hobb retired the Beacons in order in the visiting half of the seventh before Gardner-Webb exploded for three runs in the bottom half while taking its first lead, 5-4. Third baseman Drew Repepi ignited the scoring with a single through the left side, scoring Ector. Agosto followed that with the go-ahead two-RBI hit.
Valpo came back in the top of the eighth with a pair of runs while taking the lead back heading into the final frame. Thompson and Repepi started the ninth with a single and walk, respectively, before shortstop Allan Camarillo put the winning run in scoring position with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. That set the stage for Agosto's game winner that bounced just over a drawn in infield.
Reliever Colby Humphries picked up his first win with the Runnin' Bulldogs after firing the final 1.2 innings, allowing just a single hit to six batters faced.
GAME TWO: GWU 7, VALPO 3
Game two mirrored the first as Valparaiso scored two runs in the top of the first following run-scoring hits by Bryan Hatch and Cal Schembra. Second baseman Ryan Kennell picked up his first RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, pulling the Runnin' Bulldogs to within 2-1.
George Betevis padded the lead in the fourth following a hit to right field that plated a single run. However, designated hitter Alejandro Sanchez tripled to right field for an RBI before Camarillo tied the game in the fourth after a single to left.
Valpo put the go-ahead run in scoring position during the top of the fifth, but a soft comebacker to the pitcher ended the threat for the Beacons. That missed opportunity proved costly as Gardner-Webb took a lead in the home-half of the inning on a Thompson RBI hit to left.
The Runnin' Bulldogs added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh while freshman reliever Colby Putnam put the finishing touches on the twin-billing sweep. Starting pitcher Oliver Ellison picked up the win after tossing 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while collecting seven strikeouts.
The two teams will return to action tomorrow with the final two games of the series taking place starting at 1 p.m. Game one will be a 7-inning affair followed by a complete 9-inning game in the series finale.
