ROCK
HILL,
S.C. - The Gardner-Webb softball team dropped both games
it played Friday on the first day of the Winthrop Adidas
Invitational. The Bulldogs dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker in the opener
to Memphis before falling 13-3 to Furman in the second game of the
day.
GWU
now stands at 9-13 on the season.
Against
the Tigers, it was a defensive battle throughout the entire
contest. The first hit of the game came in the top of the third
– when head coach Tom Cole's team was at bat. Rookie Kelsey
Witter walked to lead off the inning and scampered to second on a
sacrifice bunt by Angie Walls. With two outs in the frame and
Witter on third, senior Kelly Linsley drove her home with an
infield single to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
Senior
Taryn Beck had things going her way, not giving up a hit until
there were two outs in the fourth. After giving up a single that
allowed Memphis to tie the game, she got the Tigers to foul out to
end the inning.
GWU
was unable to get anything going in the sixth or seventh frames,
going down in order each time.
Alison
Coffey came in to relieve Beck and allowed a lead-off single to
start the seventh and hit the next batter. A sacrifice bunt moved
each runner up 60 feet. Beck then struck out the next Tiger to come
up. However, a passed ball allowed Memphis to win the game 2-1.
Coffey
took the loss, dropping to 1-3 on the season.
Things
started out strong for the Bulldogs in the second game of the
day.
GWU
jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Furman after the first inning.
Linsley walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. After moving to
third on another wild pitch, she was able to trot home as Mandy
Ward blasted a two-run homerun to left center field for the 2-0
advantage.
The
Bulldogs extended their lead in the third as Jessi Williams belted
a solo homerun to center field for a 3-0 lead.
However,
Furman was able to get back into the contest in the bottom half of
the third frame as a Paladin hit a two-run homerun off Christine
Murray.
GWU
held the 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth, but Furman
was able to score 11 runs in the inning, 10 of which were unearned
due to three GWU fielding errors.
The
Bulldogs were unable to get anything going in the top of the fifth,
ending the game after their at bat due to the mercy rule.
Murray
took the loss, falling to 3-4 on the year.
GWU
will return to action tomorrow on the second day of the
invitational in hopes of a better outcome. The Bulldogs play
Providence at 1 p.m. before taking on UNC-Charlotte at 5 p.m.
