BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Ty Boyles went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI to spark Gardner-Webb’s 9-4 win over USC Upstate in the series finale.

With the win, Gardner-Webb (14-15, 7-11 A-Sun) captured the series over the Spartans – and won their second series in a row. GWU has won five of its last six in A-Sun play.

Diamond ‘Dog starter Jonathon Ban (2-2) was strong Sunday, working 7.0 innings and striking out six, while allowing just three earned runs.

Ban had limited the Spartans (17-16, 10-8 A-Sun) to just an unearned run through 6.2 innings, before a brief rally gave Upstate a 4-3 lead - their first, and only, lead of the game.

A two-out single, an RBI double and Kyle Simpson’s two-run home run pushed the Spartans in front, but Ban worked out of the jam – and the lead would be short lived.

Ban’s teammates gave him the victory at the plate in the bottom half of the seventh – as Justin Loyd belted a first-pitch fastball over the wall in left center to tie the score. Two defensive miscues by Upstate proved costly later in the frame, as GWU plated an unearned run to go up 5-4.

GWU head coach Rusty Stroupe then made the obvious call, signaling junior fireballer Adam Bullard in from the bullpen. The big righty cruised through the eighth and ninth – allowing just one infield single – and fanned two for his first save of the season.

Bullard – making his second strong appearance of the afternoon – had his fastball moving in the 94-95 mph range Sunday. He struck out a total of five batters in 4.1 innings of work in two games Sunday.

GWU added four runs in the bottom of the eighth for insurance, with Boyles’ two-run bomb the demoralizing blow in that rally.

Gardner-Webb went up 2-0 early, as a pair of suicide squeeze bunts turned into RBI singles – as GWU rattled Upstate starter Scott Eckard (2-4). The Spartans plated an an unearned run in the top of the fifth to trim the lead to 2-1, but Boyles roped a pitch over the wall in left center for a 3-1 advantage.

Matt Rizzuto paced Gardner-Webb’s nine-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Boyles (2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Loyd (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) and Kurt Fulginiti (2-for-4, RBI) accounted for the rest of the Bulldogs’ hits – as the top four batters combined to go a surprising 0-for-14 in the nightcap.

Kyle Bowley (2-for-4) and Brian Dempsey (2-for-4) each collected two of Upstate’s nine hits in the game.

Eckard took the loss, lasting 7.1 innings and allowing seven hits and six earned runs (one walk, three strikeouts).

GAME ONE
The Bulldogs’ bats apparently slept in on Sunday, as the team’s offense failed to produce much noise in the 12:05 pm opener – falling 2-1 to USC Upstate.

No Gardner-Webb batter collected more than one hit in the game, with Daniel Cooke’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third accounting for the lone run for the hosts. That play tied the game, 1-1, but Upstate got a two-out score to go up 2-1 in the fifth – a lead that would hold.

USC Upstate’s Matt Branham (4-2) got the win, using an effective changeup to strike out 10 batters and allow just five hits in a masterful complete game performance.

Webster Beal (3-3) took the hard-luck loss for the ‘Dogs, working 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on six hits (five strikeouts). Beal walked just two batters, but the final one was costly – as Kyle Bowley scored the game winner in the top of the fifth on Kyle Simpson’s two-out double down the first base line.

Adam Bullard worked 2.1 scoreless innings of relief (three strikeouts) to keep GWU within striking distance, but the Bulldogs couldn’t take advantage at the plate.

Ty Boyles did deliver a pinch hit single with two outs in the ninth, but Branham fanned Cooke for the game’s final out.

Gardner-Webb will travel to face Furman on Tuesday night in Greenville, S.C. (April 8), and will visit Appalachian State on Wednesday (April 9).