April 8, 2008
Box Score
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Ryan Lee went 4-for-5 with a home run and drove in three runs to power Furman past Gardner-Webb, 12-10, in baseball action Tuesday night at Furman Stadium.
Lee, a freshman first baseman from Carrollton, Ga., helped Furman erase a 6-1 deficit with a two-run home run in the fifth inning and capped a five-run Paladin sixth with a two-out RBI single to help Furman (17-12) notch its fifth victory in its last six games.
Joey Rodgers had two-hits, including a three-run home run in the sixth inning, and drove in a game high four runs for the Paladins, who banged out 18 hits in the contest. Jay Jackson also notched a pair of hits for Furman, including his fourth clout of the campaign, and Matt Hemingway doubled twice.
Gardner-Webb (14-16) was paced by Matt Rizzuto, who belted a three-run home run in the eighth inning to highlight a 2-for-5, three-RBI performance. Bubbie Spake, Jamall Kinard, and Josh Drewery also went deep for the Bulldogs, who finished with 12 hits.
Picking up the win for Furman in relief was Spencer Hale (1-0), who turned in 1 2/3 innings of perfect work. Ian Parry earned his first save of the season after tossing the final inning and two thirds. The sophomore right-hander was forced to work around a pair of an error and a passed ball in the ninth to close out the Bulldogs.
The loss went to Ryan Maxa (1-2), who in just 1/3 of an inning surrendered a walk and three hits, including home runs by Jackson and Rodgers in the decisive sixth frame.
A solo home run by Josh Drewery off Paladin starter Justin Holloway in the second inning helped give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
An RBI double by Hemingway in the Furman second got the Paladins on the board, but Gardner-Webb answered with a Kinard solo blast to left field to take a 4-1 lead.
The Bulldogs upped their advantage to 6-1 in the fifth following Kinard's RBI single and a solo clout by Spake off Paladin reliever Chris Newell.
Furman began its comeback in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single by Rodgers that scored J.B. Jenkins. Rodgers later scored on Lee's third home run of the spring, a high shot that carried over the right field fence to make it 6-3.
After Hale came on and retired Gardner-Webb in order in the sixth, the Paladins erupted for five runs in the bottom of the inning. Jay Jackson's line drive blast to left field opened the frame, and four batters later Rodgers deposited a one-out, three-run home run to left field to give Furman an 8-6 lead. Following a two-out Hubbard double, Lee finished the outburst with a two-out RBI single to left field to make it 9-6.
The Paladins stretched it 10-6 in the seventh after Jackson led off with a single and later scored on Marcus Rose's line drive base hit to left field.
Gardner-Webb clawed back with a Rizzuto three-run home run in the eighth off Furman's Barry Benton, but the Paladins countered with a sacrifice fly by Jackson and Wade RBI single in the eighth that made it 12-9.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the ninth with a passed ball on a swinging third strike, an error, and a walk to set up an RBI single by Spake, but Gardner-Webb's threat ended when Parry rallied to strike out Rizzuto and Drewery for the final two outs.
Furman returns to action on Wednesday when it welcomes Charlotte to Furman Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. game.
