Saturday, April 2
Birmingham, Ala.
3:00 p.m.
Davidson College
6
at
4
Samford
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Behind Six-Run Third, Wildcats Even Series with 6-4 Win over Samford Saturday
4/2/2011 7:50:23 PM | Baseball
Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Davidson Wildcats used a six-run third inning to defeat the Samford Bulldogs, 6-4, and even the SoCon series to a game apiece, Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Stadium.
Samford (18-11, 7-4 SoCon) got on the scoreboard first with a lone run in the second, but Davidson (13-13, 6-7 SoCon) busted the game open with six runs in the third to chase Bulldog ace Lex Rutledge (L, 5-2).
The Bulldogs steadily chipped away at Davidson's lead, adding a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the eighth, but the senior pitching staff of Ian Horkley (W, 3-3), Mike Frongello and Andy Bass (S, 3) held the potent Samford lineup in check, and the Wildcat defense turned two inning-ending double plays to ensure the early lead held up.
The Wildcats finished with eight hits, led by freshman catcher Daniel Gerow (2-for-4), while sophomore third baseman Andrew Barna (1-for-5, 2 RBI) and freshman right fielder Kelly Myers (1-for-5, 2 RBI) each drove in a pair in Davidson's six-run third.
Samford won Friday's game, 8-5, so the teams will play the series' rubber match tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST.
Both teams got a hit in the first inning, with junior first baseman Drew Gadaire (1-for-5) going up the middle with a two-out single before Michael Johnson led off the home half with a base hit for Samford. But neither got a run in the first, with Horkley picking off Johnson and retiring the next two batters on the Davidson side.
Junior second baseman Calvin Sigelbaum drew a leadoff walk in the second and was sacrificed successfully by sophomore shortstop Michael Zeblo, but Rutledge used back-to-back strikeouts to strand another. The Bulldogs scratched across a run in the bottom of the inning, as Gary Cramer hit a one-out single to center, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third as Kyle Putkonen put down a bunt single. Stephen Ballard's RBI-single to center gave Samford a 1-0 lead, and after Horkley intentionally loaded the bases, the Wildcats turned their first double play to keep it a one-score game.
The Wildcats took control of the game with six runs in the sixth, doing all their damage on two outs behind three hits and an error to chase Rutledge. Junior center fielder Seth Freeman (1-for-4) started Davidson's big inning with a leadoff double down the left field line, and freshman left fielder Forrest Brandt (1-for-3) followed with a walk. Rutledge looked like he might get out of the inning, though, getting a strikeout and a fly out from the next two Wildcat hitters.
But the fly out by senior designated hitter Danny Weiss (1-for-4) allowed Freeman to move to third, and after Brandt advanced to second on a passed ball, both scored as Barna drove a two-RBI base hit into right field. Sigelbaum and Zeblo worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for Myers, who slapped the second two-RBI single to right field of the inning. Gerow hit a ball to left field that was dropped to allow Barna and Myers to score and give Davidson a 6-1 lead. Gil Walker took over in relief of Rutledge, and as the Wildcats batted around, got Freeman on strikes to finally end the inning.
Working with a lead, Horkley retired three straight in the third, fourth and fifth before the Bulldogs cut his lead in half with a pair of runs in the sixth. Johnson drew a leadoff walk and scored on Phillip Ervin's RBI-double to the gap in left center in the next at-bat. Saxon Butler got the second straight hit for a run to cut Davidson's lead to 6-3 and bring on Frongello for a second straight day. He got a fly out from his first batter, but the Bulldogs loaded the bases with consecutive base hits. Frongello coaxed a ground ball from Ballard, and the Wildcats turned their second inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.
The Wildcats had a chance to add to their scoring in the eighth, when they loaded the bases on an error, a single by freshman catcher Daniel Gerow and a walk to Freeman. But Josh Martin got Brandt to fly into a double play to end the inning and the scoring chance, and the Bulldogs tacked on another run in the bottom half on Ballard's RBI-single. Butler, who singled to lead off the inning and bring on Bass, scored on the play.
Bass, though, used a groundout to leave two Bulldogs on base and worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season, as Davidson's early lead held up.
Davidson and Samford will play the rubber match tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. EST.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Davidson Wildcats used a six-run third inning to defeat the Samford Bulldogs, 6-4, and even the SoCon series to a game apiece, Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Stadium.
Samford (18-11, 7-4 SoCon) got on the scoreboard first with a lone run in the second, but Davidson (13-13, 6-7 SoCon) busted the game open with six runs in the third to chase Bulldog ace Lex Rutledge (L, 5-2).
The Bulldogs steadily chipped away at Davidson's lead, adding a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the eighth, but the senior pitching staff of Ian Horkley (W, 3-3), Mike Frongello and Andy Bass (S, 3) held the potent Samford lineup in check, and the Wildcat defense turned two inning-ending double plays to ensure the early lead held up.
The Wildcats finished with eight hits, led by freshman catcher Daniel Gerow (2-for-4), while sophomore third baseman Andrew Barna (1-for-5, 2 RBI) and freshman right fielder Kelly Myers (1-for-5, 2 RBI) each drove in a pair in Davidson's six-run third.
Samford won Friday's game, 8-5, so the teams will play the series' rubber match tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST.
Both teams got a hit in the first inning, with junior first baseman Drew Gadaire (1-for-5) going up the middle with a two-out single before Michael Johnson led off the home half with a base hit for Samford. But neither got a run in the first, with Horkley picking off Johnson and retiring the next two batters on the Davidson side.
Junior second baseman Calvin Sigelbaum drew a leadoff walk in the second and was sacrificed successfully by sophomore shortstop Michael Zeblo, but Rutledge used back-to-back strikeouts to strand another. The Bulldogs scratched across a run in the bottom of the inning, as Gary Cramer hit a one-out single to center, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third as Kyle Putkonen put down a bunt single. Stephen Ballard's RBI-single to center gave Samford a 1-0 lead, and after Horkley intentionally loaded the bases, the Wildcats turned their first double play to keep it a one-score game.
The Wildcats took control of the game with six runs in the sixth, doing all their damage on two outs behind three hits and an error to chase Rutledge. Junior center fielder Seth Freeman (1-for-4) started Davidson's big inning with a leadoff double down the left field line, and freshman left fielder Forrest Brandt (1-for-3) followed with a walk. Rutledge looked like he might get out of the inning, though, getting a strikeout and a fly out from the next two Wildcat hitters.
But the fly out by senior designated hitter Danny Weiss (1-for-4) allowed Freeman to move to third, and after Brandt advanced to second on a passed ball, both scored as Barna drove a two-RBI base hit into right field. Sigelbaum and Zeblo worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for Myers, who slapped the second two-RBI single to right field of the inning. Gerow hit a ball to left field that was dropped to allow Barna and Myers to score and give Davidson a 6-1 lead. Gil Walker took over in relief of Rutledge, and as the Wildcats batted around, got Freeman on strikes to finally end the inning.
Working with a lead, Horkley retired three straight in the third, fourth and fifth before the Bulldogs cut his lead in half with a pair of runs in the sixth. Johnson drew a leadoff walk and scored on Phillip Ervin's RBI-double to the gap in left center in the next at-bat. Saxon Butler got the second straight hit for a run to cut Davidson's lead to 6-3 and bring on Frongello for a second straight day. He got a fly out from his first batter, but the Bulldogs loaded the bases with consecutive base hits. Frongello coaxed a ground ball from Ballard, and the Wildcats turned their second inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.
The Wildcats had a chance to add to their scoring in the eighth, when they loaded the bases on an error, a single by freshman catcher Daniel Gerow and a walk to Freeman. But Josh Martin got Brandt to fly into a double play to end the inning and the scoring chance, and the Bulldogs tacked on another run in the bottom half on Ballard's RBI-single. Butler, who singled to lead off the inning and bring on Bass, scored on the play.
Bass, though, used a groundout to leave two Bulldogs on base and worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season, as Davidson's early lead held up.
Davidson and Samford will play the rubber match tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. EST.
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