Boiling Springs, N.C. –
Gardner-Webb junior Christa Fullwood
had a huge day on Tuesday afternoon, scoring the game winning runs
in both the Bulldogs wins over Appalachian State in non-conference
action. GWU won game one
3-2 and then used a walk-off grand slam by Fullwood to win game two
9-8.
With the sweep the
Bulldogs improve to 11-14 overall on the season.
Game One:
Gardner-Webb 3, Appalachian State 2
Heads up base
running and great pitching help give the Bulldogs a 3-2 win in game
one on Tuesday afternoon.
Gardner-Webb scored
three runs in the bottom of the third, which proved to be enough
for junior right-hander Christine Murray, who shut down the
Mountaineers' offense, holding them to only two runs on three
hits.
In the third, after
lead-off hitter Melinda Dulkowski made an infield out, senior
Adrienne Smith reached base on a base-on-balls. After Smith advanced to second on a
wild pitch, junior shortstop Melody Harrell singled through the
left side, putting runners on first and third with one out. Fullwood then came through for
GWU, doubling to left center to plate Smith and advance Harrell to
third. With the 1-0 lead,
freshman catcher Mckenzie Morenus then hit a sacrifice fly to
right, scoring Harrell and advancing Fullwood to third. With the play not yet dead, a heads up
play by Fullwood, who ran in from third to score as Appalachian
State did not pay attention to her, put the Bulldogs up
3-0.
GWU's Murray, who
battled through two walks and two passed balls in the second
inning, gave up one run in both the fifth and the sixth to make the
score 3-2. However, in the
seventh inning, the junior buckled down and got the Mountaineers to
go three-up and three-down to give GWU the 3-2 win.
Murray (4-9) allowed only two runs on three hits while
striking out 11 Appalachian State batters in seven innings of
work.
Appalachian State's
Ashley Stubbs (5-7) was handed the loss, as the freshman gave up
three runs on two hits, walking four GWU hitters in six innings of
action.
Leading the way
offensively for GWU was Fullwood, who was 1-3 with a double, an RBI
and a run scored, and Harrell who was 1-3 with a run
scored.
For Appalachian
State, Katie Boyd was 1-3 with a homerun, one RBI and a run
scored. Second-baseman
Andrea McIntyre was 1-3 with an RBI.
Game Two: Gardner-Webb 9, Appalachian State
8
A walk-off grand
slam in the bottom of the seventh by Fullwood, gave the Bulldogs
the 9-8 win in game two, completing the sweep.
Appalachian State
got on the board first, scoring the first run of the game on a wild
pitch and the second run on a bases loaded walk, giving the
Mountaineers an early 2-0 lead.
However,
Gardner-Webb answered with four runs of its own in the bottom half
of the inning, as Fullwood had an RBI double and junior designated
hitter Mandy Ward had a two run RBI single pushing the Bulldogs out
in front at 4-2.
The Mountaineers
added another run in the second by way of back-to-back hits by
McIntyre and Sarah Rappe, as Rappe drove in McIntyre with an RBI
single, cutting the GWU lead to one at 4-3.
Appalachian State
took the lead again in the top of the third, as the Mountaineers
used a single, three walks and a GWU error to plate two runs and
take a 5-4 lead.
The Mountaineers
pushed its lead out to four at 8-4 in the fifth inning, scoring
three runs highlighted by a two run single off the bat of catcher
Micelle Lighton.
Yet the Bulldogs
still had some fight left in them, as GWU used a huge seventh
inning battle back and pick up the 9-8 win.
Freshman outfielder
Jane Savage led off the inning with a double down the right-field
line. Sophomore Kelsey
Witter followed with a single through the left side, putting
runners on first and third with no outs. After Dulkowski reached on a throwing
error by the Mountaineers third-baseman to load the bases, Harrell
singled through the left side to score Savage from third and cut
the Appalachian State lead to three at 8-5.
With the bases
still loaded and no outs, Fullwood provided the heroics for the
Bulldogs, blasting a fly ball deep to left field. The Mountaineers left fielder drifted
back to the wall and jumped to make the catch. The ball hit off the tip of the left
fielder's glove and falling to the ground behind the left field
fence giving Fullwood the grand slam and the Bulldogs the 9-8
win.
Junior hurler
Alison Coffey (2-2) picked up the win in relief, as the left-hander
allowed three runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Appalachian State's
Kayla Richardson (7-8) was handed the loss, as she gave up two runs
on two hits in the seventh inning.
Fullwood again led
the Bulldogs at the plate, as the junior was 2-3 with the grand
slam, a double, five total RBIs and two runs scored. Harrell was 2-4 with an RBI and two
runs scored, while Ward was 2-3 with two RBIs. Savage, who got the seventh inning
rally started, was 1-3 with a double and a run scored.
The Mountaineers'
were led by shortstop Megan Rembielak was 2-5 with an RBI, a run
scored and two stolen bases. Both Rappe (1-3) and Lighton (1-4) had
two RBIs apiece.
The Bulldogs will
look to continue its momentum from Tuesday into play this weekend,
as GWU returns to conference play as they host the Radford
Highlanders for a three-game weekend series. GWU will play a doubleheader on
Saturday afternoon with the first-pitch slated for 1 p.m. Saturday is also senior day for
the Bulldogs, as GWU will recognize its seniors Adrienne Smith,
Angie Walls and Kirsten McLean prior to game one.
###
