Furman played some pretty outstanding baseball during its eight-game winning streak, none more so than a 12-1 win over UNC Asheville Tuesday. But in baseball, all the things you did well one day can reverse course the next.
Such was the case for Furman in Boiling Springs, N.C. Wednesday night. Miscues in the field and on the basepaths, combined with a quiet night offensively added up to a 5-0 win for Gardner-Webb.
The loss denied the Paladins' bid to become the program's first team to win nine consecutive games since 1926.
Looking to build starting pitching depth ahead of the Southern Conference Tournament, Furman coach Brett Harker called on sophomore Jake Crawford to make his first start this season. After struggling as a starter at the beginning of the 2016 season, Crawford shined in his role as closer by the end. Crawford did have a make a start in last year's SoCon Tournament and he delivered, holding Samford to two runs over eight innings.
An all-too familiar problem for Crawford this season plagued him in the first inning Wednesday.
After Gardner-Webb leadoff man Paul Trick singled on an 0-2 pitch, Crawford retired the next two batters before Collin Thacker belted a home run to left-center. A dropped infield pop-up by Dillon Love - who was playing third in place of Crawford - allowed the inning to continue. Chandler Redmond made Furman pay with another two-run homer to push Gardner-Webb's lead to 4-0. It's the sixth homer allowed by Crawford this season.
The next two batters reached as the Bulldogs batted around before Crawford got out of the jam.
Crawford (1-3) settled in and was able to go four innings for the Paladins (19-21), allowing just one man to reach after the first.
Meanwhile, Furman's offense couldn't scratch a run off Gardner-Webb freshman left-hander Isaac Campbell, who entered with an 8.80 ERA. Despite allowing four hits and three walks, with just one strikeout, over 5 2/3 innings, Campbell (1-4) blanked the Paladins.
Furman blew a chance to score in the third. With catcher Jason Costa on second, Love hit a groundball up the middle that trickled just a few inches off the glove of a diving Trick at short. Trick got up, recovered the ball and threw out Costa at the plate.
After two outs in the top of the sixth, Carter Grote walked and Sky Overton hit a bunt single. Brandon Elmy greeted Bulldog reliever Taylor Goodwin with a rocket to the deepest part of the park, but centerfielder Peyton McGuire made a running catch of it just before he hit the fence.
Gardner-Webb pushed across an insurance run in the eighth. With two out, a Paladin outfield collision on a fly pop to left extended the inning. The Bulldogs (21-19) went on to score on a bases-loaded walk.
The Paladins had runners on the corners with two out in the ninth and Sims Griffith was ahead 3-0 in the count. But on that third ball, Gardner-Webb catcher Justin Kunz fired to first and picked off Landon Kay to end the game.
Overton had half of the Paladins' six hits as he went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Furman returns to SoCon action this weekend with a home series against rival The Citadel. Friday's opening game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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