LEXINGTON, Va. – The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs scored four times in the first inning and never trailed Sunday, winning a slugfest, 14-10, over the VMI Keydets in Big South baseball action in Lexington, Va.
GWU (17-7-1, 5-4 Big South) put up the quartet of first-inning runs helped by two walks, with the key blow being a two-out, two-run double by John Harris. VMI came back with a three-spot in the bottom half, but that was as close as the Keydets (14-13-1, 4-5 Big South) would get the rest of the way.
The story on this day was the two offensive attacks, as the squads combined for 24 runs and 34 hits in a game that lasted nearly four hours. Despite the offensive onslaught, only one home run was hit, as VMI's Justin Hess connected for the third time this season. George Piccirilli and Alex Haitsuka each went 3 for 6 for VMI, with Piccirilli driving in three runs, and Dusty Quattlebaum went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI for the visiting squad.
GWU got off to a quick start, as Daniel Merck and Jake Watts each walked with one out in the first inning. Quattlebaum singled home a run, and Adam McFarland followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0, Runnin' Bulldogs. After Jeremy Brown struck out Zeke Blanton, Harris drilled the ball down the right field line to score two and put GWU up, 4-0.
VMI rallied in the bottom half, as Graham Sullivan and Piccirilli had back-to-back singles with one out. After a fly out, Jacob Morley plated both Sullivan with a single, and Justin Topping followed with an RBI single as well. A Jordan Tarsovich RBI single capped the Keydet rally, cutting the GWU lead to 4-3 after an inning of play.
The Runnin' Bulldogs knocked Brown out in the second, as the first three hitters reached, including an Aaron Miller RBI double. After a groundout, John Garrett came on and was greeted with a two-run double, making it 7-3 GWU after an inning and a half.
Topping had a sacrifice fly in the third to make it 7-4, but GWU notched an unearned run in the fourth to push the margin back to four, 8-4. That advantage was short-lived, as Chase Worthington doubled over the center fielder's head to start the fourth and Hess followed with his third home run of the year. The long ball tied Hess for the team lead, and matched the second baseman's previous career total as well.
The fifth inning was the game's first scoreless frame, but Gardner-Webb got back on the board in the sixth. Benji Jackson singled to lead off the inning, and one out later, Watts singled as well. Quattlebaum then followed with an RBI hit, making it 9-6, and an error led to a pair of unearned runs that made the score 11-6.
Once again, the Keydets tried to rally, as Piccirilli singled to start the sixth. One out later, Morley singled, and Topping followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to four. Rob Dickinson then grounded out to score Morley, making it 11-8 after six innings.
Unfortunately for the Keydets, an RBI double by Quattlebaum and a two-run two-bagger for McFarland gave Gardner-Webb its biggest lead of the day, 14-8, entering the bottom of the seventh. Haitsuka singled home a run in that inning, and Cody Holder plated a run with an RBI groundout in the eighth, but the GWU bullpen kept VMI off the board in the ninth to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the series victory, 14-10.
Brown (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season for VMI, lasting just 1 1/3 innings and surrendering seven runs. Adam Izokovic (1-1) earned the victory for Gardner-Webb, allowing three earned runs over 3 1/3 innings of relief.
VMI baseball is back in action Tuesday night, playing host to the Virginia Tech Hokies at Gray-Minor Stadium. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
Gardner-Webb 14, VMI 10 (April 3, 2011 at Lexington, Va.)
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GWU 430 103 300 - 14 17 2 (17-7-1, 5-4 Big South)
VMI 301 202 110 - 10 17 3 (14-13-1, 4-5 Big South)
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GWU – Paeplow; Izokovic (4); Stackhouse (8) and Harris.
VMI –Brown; Garrett (2); Devine (6); Roberts (8) and Haitsuka.
W- Izokovic (1-1) L-Brown (2-1) T-3:57 A-355
HR VMI – Hess (3)
