BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Going above .500 and getting its first sweep of the season, Appalachian State University baseball used 12 hits to drop Gardner-Webb, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon at Bill Masters Field.
The Mountaineers (4-3) struck out 11 batters – using just 118 pitches – and had four batters get multiple hits against the Runnin' Bulldogs (2-5) to get their first three-game sweep on the road since 2012.
From the batters' box, Appalachian had its most prolific day at-bat, getting on the board after three scoreless innings with a Brian Bauk single bringing around Chandler Seagle – one of two RBI for Bauk on the day.
Gardner-Webb would respond in the bottom-half of the fourth but would once again trail in the sixth after Matt Vernon singled to left center and Seagle walked to set up Bauk's second RBI of the day, hitting a double down the right field line. Vernon on the day finished a team season-high three hits.
After two close ninth innings in Games 1 and 2, the Mountaineers built up the lead in the eighth and ninth on Sunday to seal the win. After a Tyler Stroup double to left center, Will Herman pinch hit a single through the left side with two outs to bring him home. A left-center double by Calev Grubbs was brought home by a Conner Leonard groundout, before Seagle lasered one to left field to plate Vernon, who reached on a line-drive to shortstop.
With the two hits today, freshman Grubbs extends both his hit and reached base streak. Currently, he has reached a base on a hit in every game so far this season (seven) – a team-high.
Pitching for the Black and Gold was once again hitting its marks as senior Luke Watts received the win, going 7.0 innings and striking out seven. Herman also came in to pitch the eighth, striking out two of three batters before closer Matt Brill did the same in the ninth to put the series in the books.
The Mountaineers will next face No. 5 South Carolina in a midweek contest in Columbia, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network+.
