Gardner-Webb is 23-1 when scoring more than nine runs in a game. Image courtesy of ASunPhotos.com
Date Posted: 5/21/2008
DeLAND, Fla. - Led by a championship single-game record for stolen bases, Gardner-Webb defeated Belmont 9-7 in 10 innings at the 2008 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship Presented by Progress Energy from Stetson's Melching Field at Conrad Park.
Throughout the 2008 season, Gardner-Webb (27-28) lived up to its nickname, the Runnin' Bulldogs, by leading the Atlantic Sun in stolen bases with 102 entering Wednesday's game. They swiped seven in the contest, one more than the previous record for an A-Sun Championship game. Stetson stole six against Centenary in a 1989 contest. Brock Miller, Daniel Cooke and Jamall Kinard each stole a pair. Miller stole second and third in the top of the 10th in front of Justin Loyd’s game-winning infield single. Cooke scored an insurance run on sacrifice fly.
"It's my job as the lead-off hitter…to get on and they want me to steal bags," Miller said. "When it came my time I was able to get the job done today."
After four scoreless frames, Gardner-Webb broke through in the top of the fifth, with Cooke and Kinard scoring on a pair of Carlo Testa wild pitches. The lead would not last as Belmont (23-32) answered with five in its half of the fifth inning, highlighted by Derek Wiley's towering grand slam to left field, his second grand slam of the season.
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered, scoring a total of five times in the sixth, seventh, and eighth to grab a 7-5 lead. In the seventh, Ty Boyles tied the game with a two-run blast to left that narrowly cleared the fence and Josh Drewery delivered a pinch-hit double down the right-field line scoring Loyd.
After Gardner-Webb added a single run in the top of the eighth, Belmont knotted the score at seven when the first four hitters of the inning reached and Derek Hamblen lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Daniel Wagner.
Wes Cogdill worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the 10th to pick up his fifth win in six decisions. The loss fell to Jimmy Stanley (1-2) who allowed both runs in the 10th inning.
"I thought a couple of times in that game that it could go either way," Gardner-Webb head coach Rusty Stroupe said. "We've hit all year long and to be able to score nine in that game, we felt like we would be able to win. I can't tell you what a relief it is to get that last out."
Gardner-Webb will face the winner of tonight's Mercer-Stetson contest at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday while Belmont will take on its inner-city rival Lipscomb at 3:00 p.m.
Notes: Gardner-Webb improves to 23-1 when scoring at least nine runs in a game...Wiley's grand slam in the fifth lifted his career RBI total to 158, tying Randy Ingram (1975-78) for third on the Belmont career list...Wiley already owns the career home run record, now with 39...Wiley has hit in five of six career A-Sun Championship games (10-for-28, .357 average)...Miller's two stolen bases increase his season total to 29, one away from tying the Gardner-Webb single-season record (Frank Cauthen, 1974)...Cooke's two stolen bases put him one away from tying Terry Wright's school career record; Wright stole 65 from 1991-94...The game was delayed approximately 20 minutes in the bottom of the seventh inning after umpire Rickey Armstrong had to be relieved due to apparent heat exhaustion.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
