The Presbyterian College baseball team closed out the regular season with a 12-7 and 9-5 loss to Gardner Webb in doubleheader action this afternoon at JH Moss Stadium in Boiling Springs, N.C. With the two wins today, the Runnin' Bulldogs earned the series win and a spot in next week's Big South Baseball tournament.
PC falls to 24-32 overall and 10-14 in the Big South, while Gardner Webb improves to 28-25-1, 12-11.
Game One: GWU 12, PC 7
Gardner Webb used timely hits, including a three-run homer in the eighth inning, to take the 12-7 win over the Blue Hose in the opening game of the doubleheader.
Leading PC on offense was Jacob Midkiff, who went three-for-five with three RBI. Nate Chong went four-for-four with one RBI, while Brandon Paul and Cam McRae collected two hits and one RBI each. Robby Swab was four-for-five and scored three runs.
Brad Collins paced GWU, going two-for-four with five RBI. Scott Coleman went four-five with three RBI. Also collecting RBI for the Runnin' Bulldogs were Scott Johnson, Benji Jackson, John Harris and Henry Rundio.
Beau Dees (5-7) took the loss for the Blue Hose, going 2.1 innings and giving up four earned runs off six hits. Andrew Barnett went 5.0 innings for GWU and gave up eight hits, but just one earned run to take the win (5-2).
The Blue Hose out-hit the Runnin' Bulldogs, 20-13, and posted a lead-off hit in all but two innings, as well as recorded multiple hits to open the second, fifth, seventh and eighth innings. PC stranded 12 runners, while GWU plated all but six.
Gardner Webb was the first to score, with a run in the bottom of the first off the RBI double from Collins. The Blue Hose knotted it up the next half inning after Chong single back to the second baseman, driving in Swab, who was on after a lead-off double down the left field line.
The Runnin' Bulldogs broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth with four runs off four hits to take a 4-1 lead. After Brad Zebedis led off the fourth with a double, he cut the GWU lead o two, 4-2, after scoring off a Gardner Webb error.
The two-run margin was short-lived as Gardner Webb posted three more, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Coleman, to lead 8-2 after four innings.
McRae and Midkiff recorded RBI singles in the top of the sixth and PC cut the margin to four, 8-4.
Gardner Webb added a run in the seventh to make it 9-4, before the Blue Hose loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. They were able to score one off a fielder's choice, but flew out to end the rally down 9-5.
A three-run home run by Coleman in the bottom of the eighth made it 12-5 heading to the ninth.
A single by Swab and a double by Chong put runners on base with one out in the night. Midkiff doubled to right center to plate the runs as PC made it 12-7. That would be it though as the Runnin' Bulldogs came away with the five-run win.
Game Two: GWU 9, PC 5
A four-run third inning was enough for the Runnin' Bulldogs to secure the 9-5 win over the Blue Hose in the final game of the doubleheader and series this afternoon.
Leading PC was Chong with his one-for-four effort and two RBI. Trey Hayes recorded two RBI as well off a one-for-one effort. Swabb also ended the game with a RBI. JJ Nazzaro, Collins and Coleman each recorded two hits apiece for Gardner Webb, with Coleman and Rundio coming away with three RBI apiece.
Chandler Knox started for PC on the mound and threw 5.0 innings, surrendering eight runs off eight hits for the loss (5-6). Erik Heiligenstadt picked up the win for GWU (5-3) after going 6.0 innings and scattering seven hits and three runs. Both teams ended the game with 10 hits apiece.
Jackson doubled to left with one out to put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the first. After Collins flied out to center to advance him to third, Jackson scored off the RBI single from Coleman to give GWU the 1-0 lead.
The Runnin' Bulldogs added four more in the third, three coming off a Rundio home run to left, and built a 5-0 lead.
After Swab and Paul offered up back-to-back singles with two outs on the board in the top of the fourth, Chong brought them home with a long double to left center, and PC cut the GWU lead to three, 5-2. The Runnin' Bulldogs got one back in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single from Nazzaro to make it 6-2.
The score didn't change until the bottom of the fifth when Collins knocked a two-run home run, his second of the day, to left center as GWU charged to the 8-2 lead.
Perston led off the sixth with a single and stole second the next at-bat. After advancing to third the next play, he scored off a RBI ground-out by Swab to make it 8-3 in favor of GWU. The Runnin' Bulldogs made the run up in the bottom of the second after Coleman's ground out to the short strop drove in Jackson, who had led off the stanza with a walk.
Zebedis led off the ninth with a walk, while Weston Jackson doubled to left to put runners in scoring position with no outs. Two batters later, Trey singled up the middle, driving in both to make it 9-5. That would be it as the next batter popped up to the shortstop to end the rally and the game.
Gardner-Webb 12, Presbyterian College 7 (May 17, 2013 at Boiling Springs, NC) (Game 1)
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Presbyterian College 010 102 012 - 7 20 1 (24-31, 10-13 BigSouth)
Gardner-Webb........ 104 300 13X - 12 13 2 (27-25-1, 11-11 BigSouth)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; BYRUM, Brett(3); RICCHI, Michael(8) and SWAB, Robby
. Gardner-Webb - BARNETT, A; SCARBOROUGH(6); WARNER, M(8); HAYMES, B(8); HOWELL, J(8) and
HARRIS, J.
Win-BARNETT, A(5-2) Save-HOWELL, J(5) Loss-DEES, Beau(5-7) T-2:53 A-75
HR GWU - COLLINS, B (3).
Weather: Temp: 83; Wind: 6 mph SSW
SCARBOROUGH faced 2 batters in the 8th.
Game: PC05171
Gardner-Webb 9, Presbyterian College 5 (May 17, 2013 at Boiling Springs, NC) (Game 2)
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Presbyterian College 000 201 002 - 5 10 0 (24-32, 10-14 BigSouth)
Gardner-Webb........ 104 120 10X - 9 10 0 (28-25-1, 12-11 BigSouth)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - KNOX, Chandler; SANDERS, Chad(6); WRIGHT, Kelly(7);
MORRIS, Ryan(8) and SWAB, Robby; LONG, Derek. Gardner-Webb - HEILIGENSTAD; WILSON, B(7);
GILMORE, S(9); GULLICKSON(9) and SMITH, B.
Win-HEILIGENSTAD(5-3) Loss-KNOX, Chandler(5-6) T-2:17 A-172
HR GWU - COLLINS, B (4); RUNDIO, H (4).
Weather: Temp: 80; Wind: 8 mph SSW
GILMORE, S faced 2 batters in the 9th.
Game: PC05172
