University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Gardner-Webb vs. VMI
05.17.2009 | Baseball
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#8 VMI Surprises #5 Gardner-Webb |  |
ASHEVILLE, N.C. ? No. 8 VMI pounded out 21 hits and used three big innings to down No. 5 Gardner-Webb, 13-4, in Game B of the 2009 Royal Purple Big South Baseball Championship, May 19 at historic McCormick Field in Asheville, N.C. With the victory, VMI improves to 18-33 and advances to the main double-elimination bracket of the tournament. The Keydets will play No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina on Wednesday at 11:00am. The win is VMI's first victory in the Big South Baseball Tournament. Gardner-Webb ends its season at 25-25 with the loss.
The Runnin' Bulldogs plated a run in the bottom of the first. Brock Miller reached on an infield single, and with two outs, moved to third on Travis Smink's errant pickoff throw. Kurt Fulginiti knocked in Miller with a sharp single through the middle to give GWU the early 1-0 advantage.
VMI pushed ahead five runs in the top of the third to chase Gardner-Webb starter Brett Stackhouse, with all five runs coming before the first out. A..J. Yoder opened the inning with an infield single and advanced to third on Tanner Biagini's single to center. Sam Roberts doubled home Yoder to tie the game at 1-1 and put runners on second and third. Jordan Ballard's two-run single scored Roberts and Biagini to give VMI a 3-1 lead. The Keydets added two more runs to move ahead 5-1.
The Keydets tacked on three more runs in the fourth frame. Biagini singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Roberts walked and Ballard loaded the bases with a single to right. After Biagini was forced out at home on Alex Haitsuka's fielder's choice, Roberts came around to score on a walk to Graham Sullivan. Justin Topping then singled home Ballard, and Haitsuka made the score 8-1 when he scored on Brian Sandridge's infield hit.
Gardner-Webb got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth to cut VMI's lead to 8-2. Tyler Johnson opened with a double off the left field wall, and later scored on Daniel Cooke's single to right field. But the Keydets got the run back in the top of the sixth when Sullivan's one-out single scored Ballard, who opened the inning with a single and eventually reached third via a sacrifice and wild pitch.
VMI stretched its lead to 13-2 with four runs in the seventh inning, while Gardner-Webb's Ty Boyles belted a two-run home run in the eighth for the final margin. It was Boyles' 15th homer of the season.
Smink went seven innings for VMI and picked up his eighth win of the season. He allowed six hits, two runs (one earned) and fanned seven in improving to 8-4 on the year. Stackhouse suffered the loss for Gardner-Webb after giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits in just two innings of work.
Ballard went 5-6 at the plate for the Keydets, with three RBI and four runs scored. Biagini collected four hits as well, while Yoder had three in becoming VMI's record holder for hits in a season. Johnson was the lone GWU player with two hits, as he finished 2-3.
VMI's 13 runs is the most by the Keydets in the postseason since scoring 13 against Appalachian State in the SoCon Tournament on April 28, 1995. VMI also snaps a six-game losing streak in the Big South Baseball Tournament, having gone 0-6 since first appearing in the League's postseason event in 2005.
VMI Head Coach Marlin Ikenberry
“Travis Smink did an unbelievable job on the mound tonight. He got out of a couple of jams early, and that was big for us. I was proud of how well we played and how hard we competed. Our level of concentration was outstanding all night. We have shown signs of this all year, but it was great to see it all come together tonight. A.J. Yoder and Tanner Biagini did a great job of setting the table, and Sam Roberts and Jordan Ballard brought them home all night. We put the pressure on them in the third inning, they threw the bunt away, and it really opened up from there. It's great to get our first win in the Big South Tournament.”
Gardner-Webb Head Coach Rusty Stroupe
“Things didn't turn out the way we would have liked, but the deficit late allowed us to get all of our seniors in the game tonight. It was a special moment, even though it came under tough circumstances. It was an honor to coach this group of 12 seniors over the last four seasons. VMI played very well tonight offensively and Smink was tremendous on the mound for those guys.”
