Bulldogs Drop 4-3 Heartbreaker To Lady Bucs
May 09, 2008 | Softball
DELAND, Fla. – The Gardner-Webb softball team put up a tremendous battle, but saw its 2008 season come to an end Friday afternoon with a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to ETSU in the second round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
The Bulldogs end the season with a 22-35 record while the Lady Bucs improve to 28-32 on the year and will play Campbell in a rematch of last night's game that the Camels won by a 6-3 score.
After each team scratched just one hit over the first two frames, the Bulldogs took the lead in the third on Christa Fullwood's double down the right field line. With two outs, Fullwood pulled Hardy's pitch down the line, scoring Melody Harrell and Jessi Williams. Harrell had reached earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice and moved to second when Williams earned a walk to put runners on first and second, which brought up Fullwood.
Fullwood had been strong against A-Sun pitching on the season, hitting .397 in conference games only.
However, ETSU battled back to take the lead in the bottom half of the third. After loading the bases on three consecutive singles to start the at bat, Cindy Boomhower registered a strikeout. Briana Knight scored as Trisha Massenzo reached on a fielder's choice. With two outs, Jessie Hackworth singled home Massenzo and Cheniece Cason for a 3-2 lead. Then, back-to-back errors by the Bulldogs gave the Lady Bucs a 4-2 advantage.
In the fifth, Jessi Williams brought head coach Tom Cole's team back within one at 4-3 as she blasted a two-out solo homerun over the left field fence. The Bulldogs threatened after the four-bag hit as Mandy Ward singled to right, moving Fullwood to third on the play. However, Haley Scism was retired, ending the inning.
Sophomore Alison Coffey came in to start the fifth for GWU in the circle and was able to get out of the frame while holding ETSU scoreless. The designated home team managed one single, but Coffey was up to the challenge and kept the Lady Bucs from scoring.
Boomhower's statistics for the day read four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits while striking out one without allowing a walk.
After the Bulldogs failed to get anything going in the sixth, Coffey again kept the team within striking distance by shutting down ETSU in the bottom half of the frame.
GWU had the top of the batting order up in what turned out to be the last at bat, but Hardy retired the side in order, ending the contest and the Bulldogs' hopes for getting back to the A-Sun Championship.
Boomhower took the loss and falls to 3-12 on the season. Marissa Hardy improves to 19-14 on the season with the win.
For the game, Coffey worked two innings while giving up two hits and striking out one.
The contest marked the last collegiate contest for Taryn Beck, Lindsay Cox, Kelly Linsley, Haley Scism and Jessi Williams, who each contributed immensely to the squad's success over the years and helped the team nearly reach the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
The five have made lasting impressions on the future of the program and have each etched their names in GWU's record book. All five played an important role of helping the Red and Black win the program's first-ever Division I postseason contest, an 8-0 victory over Campbell a season ago.
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