Box Score BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Hunter Smith had the game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning, and Brad Haymes gained the pitching win, to lead Gardner-Webb University to a 9-8 Big South Conference baseball victory past Longwood University on Saturday afternoon in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Senior captain
Alex Owens/Purcellville had two hits and an RBI for the visiting Lancers (14-18, 4-7 Big South) against the South Division Runnin' Bulldogs (13-18, 5-6 Big South). Longwood and Gardner-Webb will play the finale of the three-game weekend league series on Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m. in North Carolina.
Gardner-Webb took an early 2-0 lead with two runs in the third inning, despite no hits, aided by a fielding error, three walks and a hit batter. Blair Huggins (0-2) reached base with one out on a fielding error and later crossed the plate via a bases loaded walk to Scott Coleman (0-2, RBI). A two-out, bases loaded walk to Scott Johnson (0-4, RBI) plated JJ Nazzaro (2-2), who had been hit by a pitch.
Longwood answered with six runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-2 advantage. Senior captain
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (2-5) singled to open the inning, and sophomore
Kyri Washington/Prospect (1-3) singled with one out, before an RBI double from Owens (2-4, RBI) scored Dickason. Senior
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-4) reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in a throwing error that allowed Washington to score. A walk to sophomore
C.J. Roth/Yorktown (1-2) loaded the bases for freshman
Mac McCafferty/Stevens, Pennsylvania (0-2, RBI), who delivered a sacrifice fly to score Owens. Freshman
Brandon Harvell/Yorktown (1-3, RBI) followed with a two-out, RBI single to plate Burkett, and sophomore
Colton Konvicka/Richmond (1-5, 2 RBI) added a two-run double to score both Roth and Harvell.
The Runnin' Bulldogs responded with three runs in the sixth inning, and another run in the seventh inning to tie it at 6-6. In the sixth, pinch-hitter Will Canady (1-1, 2 RBI) delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to score Henry Rundio (3-4) and Ryan Hodge (2-5), who had each reached base with two outs via singles. Sam Fulginiti (1-3), who had drawn a walk ahead of Canady's at bat, later crossed the plate via a wild pitch. In the seventh, Tyler Best (1-4, RBI) singled to lead off and later scored on an RBI single from Matt Simmons (1-4, RBI) with one out.
The Lancers scored two runs in the eighth inning to lead 8-6. Burkett drew a one-out walk, followed by a single from Roth. Senior
Cory Ramsey/Petersburg (1-1, 2 RBI) pinch-hit with two outs and doubled to left field to drive in both Burkett and Roth.
GWU added a run in the eighth to close to within 8-7, and scored two runs in the ninth inning for the walk-off win. In the eighth, Alex Newman (0-0), pinch-running for Fulginiti, who had singled, scored on a ground ball RBI from Best. In the ninth, Rundio and Hodge each singled, and Rundio scored the tying run on a wild pitch, before Hodge scored the game-winner on an RBI single by Smith (1-1, RBI), who was pinch-hitting.
Freshman
Mitchell Kuebbing/Burlington, Kentucky started for Longwood and pitched the first 4.0 innings, yielding just one hit and two unearned runs with five strikeouts and five walks. Sophomore
Travis Burnette/Lynchburg tossed 2.2 innings of middle relief for the Lancers, allowing six hits and four runs, three earned, with one strikeout and one walk. Burkett (2-1) pitched the final 1.1 innings to take the mound loss, yielding five hits and three earned runs with one strikeout and no walks.
Andrew Barnette started for Gardner-Webb and pitched the first 8.0 innings, scattering nine hits and eight runs, three earned, with 12 strikeouts and four walks. Haymes (1-4) entered with two runners on base and no outs in the ninth inning for the Bulldogs, and proceeded to retire three-straight batters, including two by strikeouts.
