BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - For the second straight game, Gardner-Webb defeated UCF in its final at-bat as the host Bulldogs topped UCF 4-3 Monday in Boiling Springs, N.C. Clint Abernathy hit a solo home run on an 0-1 count in the bottom of the ninth inning to clinch the series win for Gardner-Webb as the Bulldogs rallied from a 3-0 deficit after 6.5 innings of play.
UCF (26-20, 10-11 A-Sun) dropped to ninth place in the conference with the loss while Gardner-Webb (29-19, 14-13 A-Sun) moved into a tie for fifth place in the league with the victory. The Golden Knights still have three A-Sun series remaining vs. three teams that are in front of them in the conference standings.
The Golden Knights started well thanks to the long ball and the pitching of Matt Fox. In the UCF third, Clay Timpner hit his first home run of the season with a shot down the right field line for a 1-0 lead.
UCF added two runs in the fourth on three hits and a costly error by Gardner-Webb starting pitcher Abe Gonzalez. Dave Lambert and Drew Butera started the frame with two singles before Lambert scored on a throwing error by Gonzalez on a failed pickoff attempt of Butera at first base. Ryan Bono then laced a RBI-single to center to plate Butera, giving UCF a 3-0 lead.
Fox made the lead stand as he tossed 5.2 innings of shutout baseball. The sophomore right-hander yielded six hits and struck out two.
Gardner-Webb finally scored in the seventh thanks in part to two UCF miscues. Reliever Taylor Cobb walked pinch hitter Ryan McGirr and threw the ball away on a failed pickoff attempt of McGirr, which allowed McGirr to advance to third on the two-base error. Cobb hit the next batter he faced before exiting the game. Freshman closer Kyle Bono surrendered a RBI-single to left field to the first batter in Abernathy to cut the UCF lead to 3-1. Bono struck out the next batter before David Futrelle singled to left field, scoring two as Dee Brown threw the ball away in an attempt to throw out a runner at third. Two runs scored on the play to tie the contest at three. GWU attempted a suicide squeeze on the next play, but Futrelle was thrown out at the plate on the play and Bono fanned Ryan Quirello to end the threat.
The Bulldogs finally ended the game with the one-out home run in the ninth to clinch the series win in dramatic fashion.
GWU reliever Jeff Rinehart (4-1) pitched 1.2 innings of perfect relief for the win while Kyle Bono (4-2) was saddled with the loss for UCF. Bono, who fanned four in 2.1 innings of relief, yielded just his second earned run of the year in the loss.
UCF looks to rebound Tuesday in a non-conference tilt at Charleston Southern. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Charleston, S.C.