Bulldogs Split With Dolphins
April 05, 2008 | Softball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After dropping a 5-3 extra inning affair in the first game of the doubleheader, the Gardner-Webb softball team was able to bounce back and take down the Jacksonville Dolphins in the second game of the day 3-0.
The Bulldogs stand at 14-24 on the season and 3-9 in A-Sun play. JU is now 19-29 overall and 5-9 against conference competition.
In game one, GWU manufactured a run to take an early lead. Adrienne Smith led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on Lindsay Cox's perfect sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Kelly Linsley grounded out to the second baseman, allowing Smith to get to third safely. On what should have been an inning ending groundball, the shortstop committed an error, allowing Smith to score and Harrell to be safe on the play. With senior Jessi Williams up, Harrell showcased her speed by swiping second. She then scored on Williams's frozen rope to left field for a 2-0 advantage.
JU battled back and could have taken the lead in the bottom of the third. Kayla Ouellet led off the frame and doubled to left field. She attempted to stretch it into a triple and was thrown out by Williams. The next three batters got soft singles to load the bases. The Dolphins' Kelly picked up an RBI on a sacrifice to slice the deficit to one. However, Boomhower got Mora to op up to her to end the inning.
The Dolphins took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Mora reached on an infield single and moved to third on Kelly McKeon's single. Beth Glasscock brought home Mora to knot the game at 2-2. On what should have been an inning ending play, Amber Moseley reached on an error by Boomhower, which allowed McKeon to score unearned, which gave the home team a 3-2 lead.
GWU came through in the clutch. Looking at its last at bat if the team could not produce a run, Harrell reached base for the fourth time on the day with a leadoff single. She then stole second and moved to third on Williams's infield single. With one out, Scism's sacrifice fly to right field plated Harrell, tying the game at 3-3.
The Bulldogs held the Dolphins off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh despite the squad having a runner on third base. After JU was able to get GWU to go in order in the top of the eighth, Glasscock ended the game in the eighth with a two-run shot over the centerfield fence for the 5-3 win.
Each team had chances to put up more runs throughout the game but neither was able to. In the first inning, Harrell launched a double to left center, but was unable to score as Shannon Jensen struck out the next two batters to end the inning. The Bulldogs' defense kept the Dolphins at bay in the bottom half of the frame. With one out and a runner on second, Katie Kelly singled to center field. Jillian Mirante attempted to come home on the play, but Linsley scooped up the ball, planted and threw a perfect ball to Mandy Ward at the plate. Ward was able to apply the tag to keep the game scoreless. Boomhower then struck out Mora to end the frame.
In the fourth, the Bulldogs had runners on second and third, but Christa Fullwood was tagged out trying to score on Cox's fielder's choice to end the inning. GWU threatened again in the fifth. Linsley singled up the middle to open the frame and promptly swiped second. She moved to third when Harrell again reached on an error. However, Jensen was able to get Williams to strike out and forced Mandy Ward to ground out back to her for the next two outs. Haley Scism hit a sharp ball to third, but was unable to reach safely allowing JU to escape with no damage.
Jensen got the win, throwing a omplete game while allowing three runs, only one of which was earned. She struck out six and walked one. Boomhower took the loss. She pitched 7.1 inningsand allowed five runs on 12 hits. Four runs were earned and she struck out two without walking a batter.
For the game, GWU posted three runs on nine hits. Harrell, Williams
and Fullwood each had two hits in the contest.
Neither team was able to get on the board in the second contest through the first four innings despite each putting runners on base. However, the Red and Black broke through in the fifth inning with three runs. Scism's single through the left side of the defense allowed Linsley and Williams to cross home plate while allowing Mandy Ward to move to third. Fullwood's sacrifice to the second baseman plated Ward, giving Christine Murray a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the frame, Murray got the first out before walking Moseley. Head coach Tom Cole then replaced Murray, who had pitched extremely well, with Taryn Beck. Beck came in and forced Ouellet into a line drive out to Lindsay Cox. Cox, however, tried to pick off Moseley at first, but an errant throw allowed her to scamper to second. Beck then struck out Engler, but a dropped ball on the play forced Ward to throw to first. She made an adequate throw that was muffed by the Bulldogs' first baseman. However, GWU was able to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Bulldogs threatened to put an insurance run on in the sixth after Cox singled to short and swiped second base. It wasn't to be though as JU got the next three batters out to end the frame.
After a leadoff single by the Dolphins in the bottom of the sixth, Beck shut down the rest of the team.
GWU was back at it, threatening again in its last at bat. With two outs, Fullwood singled up the middle and Angie Walls reached on an error by the shortstop, putting two runners on. Rookie Kelsey Witter earned a base on balls to load the bases. However, Ashley Whitlock put a charge into the ball, but it fell into the left fielder's glove for the final out of the inning.
Beck went back to work in the seventh and forced the Dolphins into three infield pop flies to end the game.
Murray picked up her sixth win on the season while Beck notched her
second save of the year.
Fullwood was a perfect three-for-three in the contest with an RBI. Scism was one-for-four but drove in two, including the game-winning run. Linsley, Williams and Ward crossed the plate for Cole's team.
The Bulldogs step out of conference play for a Tuesday afternoon showdown against Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.
| Box Score Game 1 |
| Box Score Game 2 |
