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Box Score 2 Boiling Springs, NC ? Jeremy Cruz (Miami, Fla.) came through once again, and Robbie Elsemiller Okeechobee, Fla.) showed why he deserves his preseason accolades helping Stetson (8-9, 2-4) pull off a split against Gardner-Webb (8-9, 2-7) Sunday in Boiling Springs.
On Saturday the Hatters and the Bulldogs started a doubleheader under the threat of inclement weather. The teams managed to play six complete innings before the first bolt of lightning struck in the area. The game was suspended until Sunday with GWU leading by a score of 7-5.
Gardner-Webb scored first with one run in the 1st inning and two runs in the 3rd. In the top of the 4th Stetson tied the score with a three-run home run by Erich Holland (Louisville, Ky.), his first of the season. Brad Pippa (Danbury, Ct.) walked and Jacob deGrom (DeLeon Springs, Fla.) singled to centerfield, and then scored ahead of Holland.
Stetson went on to score one run in the 5th on a Justin Bass (DeLand, Fla.) solo home run (4th of season) to left, and one run in the 6th when Robert Crews (Port Charlotte, Fla.) walked and then ended up scoring on an error by the Bulldog second baseman.
GWU answered with a run in the bottom of the 6th off starting pitcher Robby Donovan and then the threatening weather hit. Donovan pitched 5 2/3 innings giving up 11 hits, 7 runs, 6 earned runs, and struck out 5 batters.
When the game resumed Sunday Gardner-Webb tacked on three more runs against three different Stetson relievers; Stetson would not score again falling 10-5. Ian Thompson (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Andy Mauldin (Gainesville, Fla.) and David Burns (Seminole, Fla.) each surrendered one run. Freshman Nick Bohne (Melbourne, Fla.) pitched the final 2/3 inning striking out one. Donovan took the loss falling to 2-2 on the season.
Game two of the doubleheader was a more positive experience for the Hatters. Stetson scored first with two runs in the top of the 3rd inning. deGrom opened the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Simpson (Valrico, Fla.), and scored when Casey Frawley (New Haven, Ct.) reached on an error by the shortstop. Frawley ended up scoring on an RBI single by Bass.
GWU evened the score with two runs in the 4th inning and then went ahead with a pair in the 6th. Heading into the 9th inning it looked as though the third game of the A-Sun series was going to end like the first two, with a Hatters loss. That was when the Bulldogs made a key mistake; they allowed Stetson slugger Jeremy Cruz (Miami, Fla.) to come to the plate with a runner on base.
With two outs in the inning Frawley showed tremendous patience drawing a base on balls. With a brisk wind blowing in, Cruz came to the plate and saw one pitch, a fastball down the middle. He hit a monster shot over the left field wall and tied the score 4-4. It was his third home run of the weekend and seventh of the season.
With two outs in the 10th Josh Clendenin (Atlanta, Ga.) laced a double to the wall in left field and then scored on a deGrom single to right. deGrom moved to second on a balk and then scored when defensive replacement Brian Pruitt (Miami, Fla.) came through with a single to right.
In the bottom of the 10th Stetson reliever Robbie Elsemiller (Okeechobee, Fla.) gave up one run but struck out two batters looking and held on to pick up his first victory of the season, 6-5. Elsemiller pitched 2.0 innings of relief. Starter Nick Pugliese (Deltona, Fla.) pitched well for 6 2/3 innings giving up 4 runs, 2 earned runs, 7 hits and striking out 5.
Stetson now returns to Melching Field to host Iowa University in 7:00 p.m. games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
