Matthew Gaynor isn't necessarily trying to make up for lost time. But he's pitching like he's running out of time.
In the Golden Bears' series opener on Friday at Linda K. Epling Stadium, Gainer did not allow a hit after the third inning, Alice Lloyd allowed two runs, and no earned runs as the Golden Bears trailed 9-2. I won.
Gainer (4-3) had five strikeouts and did not walk a batter. He was pulled after throwing 82 pitches in seven innings.
The Eagles got some strong contact from Gainer on the lineup's first outing, but only managed an unearned run. After Joey Johnson hit a double in the third inning, the senior left-hander retired eight consecutive batters and took control of the game.
“The first few innings we just kept things in the zone,” Gainer said. “I started feeling better on that front because I started to calm down a little bit over the last few innings and feel better. After the first few innings, I started trusting my defense more. . I just tried to go out there and do my job, let them hit the ball and trust my defense.”
“He calmed down a little bit and was moving the pitches,” Golden Bears head coach Lawrence Nesselrod said. “He's a stickler, he's the type to go in and out, he changes speed. He was very effective as the game progressed.”
Gainer bounced back from his last game against Shawnee State last week, when he allowed five earned runs on eight hits in three innings in a 9-2 loss.
After being shelved at the end of last season, he is trying to get back on his feet.
“I had a little bit of an injury in the summer and then into the fall, so I got over that at the beginning of the year,” Gainer said.
“They kept me up to pitch count the first few innings as a starter. So I've been working hard from there. I've gotten back into shape a little bit and I'm really enjoying the last year. love.”
“We wanted to keep his pitch count down. We beat him, but he could have finished the game,” Nesselrod said. “He's working his way back to being the No. 1 (starter) and that really sets the tone for the weekend for us.”
The offensive line started with a small ball and showed some power, giving Gainer some breathing room with six points in the third inning.
With Tech (17-14, 6-7 River States Conference) trailing 1-0, Hunter Fansler led off with a bunt single and Alice Lloyd's starting pitcher Gibbs. A missed pickoff by Cochran put him on second base, and another bunt single by Noe put him on third base. Garrett Warden, the No. 9 batter. Fansler tied the game on Brodie Boyce's single to left.
Logan Spurlock's double to center field gave the Warden the lead, and Boyce scored from the start to give the Golden Bears a 3-1 lead.
Then the wind helped Tech a little bit.
Noah Lucas, as usual, lofted a fly ball to right field. But the wind continued to push it past Johnson, causing it to collide near the warning truck in the gap. Spurlock scored and Lucas tripled.
The same thing happened to Will Gray on his next pitch, but his ball went farther and over the right-field wall for a two-run homer, giving Tech a 6-1 lead.
“It definitely increases confidence,” Gaynor says. “When you have run support, you can throw more strikes and also trust your defense.”
This was Gray's fourth home run of the year, as he finished the day with 4 hits in 5 at bats. It was his first multi-hit game since February 21, when he went 2-for-4 in the second game of a doubleheader against Davis & Elkins. Since then, he was 9-for-56 (.161).
“Will Gray was down, but he really worked hard for us today,” Nesselrod said.
The Eagles (15-20, 2-11) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff batter Ryan Cozart reached on an error and scored on Thomas Mullins' one-out double.
He added an unearned run in the seventh inning. Cody Jefferson reached on a one-out error, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on Cole Bishop's sacrifice fly.
Gainer then looked to his final pitch and struck out Kyle Johnson.
Tech added three unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Dakota Aspinwal and Bradan Packala pitched two scoreless innings in relief for Tech.
The Golden Bears had lost five of their past six games. They had a chance to host a playoff game under the league's new postseason format, so being able to stop the bleeding and possibly get off to a strong start was huge.
“We just need to get even ties in the conference and get back above .500. That's important for seeding,” Nesselrod said. “We definitely want to host the first round of the playoffs. The last weekend of the regular season is a best-of-three series. That's a big deal and we really enjoy being at Epling Stadium. Masu.”
The chance to play home playoff baseball is a huge opportunity for Gainer, capping off his career in his hometown of Epling Stadium.
“I love being here.'' Gaynor, an Elkins native who was accompanied by his family, said the five-minute trip was much more comfortable than the hour-long car trip. Obviously I enjoy playing at Beckley and having the crowd here. It's good to have the fans here. It's a good atmosphere.”
The series concludes with a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday. Robert Kelly (5-2, 3.51) will start Tech's opener (9 innings) and Tyler Wilkinson (1-1, 7.00) will take over the second game (7 innings).
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It was homecoming day for Alice Lloyd designated hitter Jacob Lovell, who graduated from Woodrow Wilson in 2019. He was caught on several hard-hit balls by Tech fielders and went 0-for-4.
