Box Score April 7, 2012
Final Stats
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - In game two, the Bulldogs scored three in the first and three in the eighth to claim a 7-3 victory at Moss Stadium.
Coastal Carolina is now 20-10 on the season, 4-2 in Big South play, while Gardner-Webb is 17-16, 3-6. While the Chanticleers won the weekend series, two games to one, the win by the Bulldogs in game two Saturday was the first by Gardner-Webb in 13 tries. Coastal was 10-0 all-time versus GWU prior to the weekend and won the first games of this weekend's series.
Gardner-Webb took its first lead of the series, scoring three in the first inning. Zeke Blanton and Ryan Hodge drew leadoff walks and John Harris followed with an RBI single, leaving runners on the corners. Dusty Quattlebaum made it consecutive hits with an RBI double, ending the day for starter Patrick Corbett (2-2). Aaron McFarland made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to left field.
From that point, Ryan Connolly and Ben Smith held the Bulldogs in check until the bottom of the sixth when Brad Collins had a leadoff double and GWU put runners on the corners Henry Rundio reached on fielder's choice error. After an out and a wild pitch put runners on second and third, Austin Ker came out of the CCU bullpen to face Hodge, who executed a suicide squeeze and put Gardner-Webb up 4-0. The run scoring is the first inherited runner Kerr has allowed to score since his first outing (coming into the Virginia game with the bases loaded), a span of 17 runners he left stranded.
Coastal got on the board in the seventh, cutting its lead in half 4-2. Sloan Gilliam had a leadoff double and Luke Willis followed with a single. Brian Pruett plated Gilliam with an RBI fielder's choice. Willis would be retired at third on a fielder's choice, but Jacob May loaded the bases with a single to left. After GWU pitcher Adam Izokovic walked home Alex Buccilli to force home Pruett, he got a strikeout and centerfielder Alex Newman made a diving catch on a Tucker Frawley line drive to end the inning.
Gardner-Webb scored three in the eighth to take a 7-2 advantage. With two out and one one - who reached by error, Blanton walked and Hodge loaded the bases with an infield single. John Harris reached on an infield single, scoring one with an error allowing a second run home. Quattlebaum then reached on a check swing single to bring home the seventh run.
Bulldog starter Beau Hilton improved to 4-0, allowing six hits and four runs over 6.1 innings. Izokovic earned his fifth save of the season.
Corbett suffered the loss, allowing three runs on two hits with two walks. Connolly pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and fanning two. Smith surrendered three hits over 3.2 innings, allowing one unearned run. While Burke, who ranks second in the NCAA in ERA, had three runs charged to him, all were unearned to lower his ERA to 0.59.
Offensively for Coastal in game two, Creel and Gilliam had two hits.
Coastal Carolina will end its nine-game road swing with a game at UNC Wilmington Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 pm. Coastal will return to Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field Wednesday, hosting The Citadel at 6 pm.
