GWU Softball Splits Twin Bill With Charleston Southern on Friday Afternoon
April 17, 2009 | Softball
Charleston, S.C. – The Gardner-Webb softball team split a conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon with the Lady Buccaneers of Charleston Southern, winning game one 4-1 and dropping game two 7-4 in Charleston, S.C.
With the split the Bulldogs move to 17-21 overall and 6-8 in
conference play, while Charleston Southern goes to 22-27 overall
and 6-8 in the Big South.
Game 1: Gardner-Webb 4, Charleston Southern
1
For the 16th time this season, the Bulldogs scored in its first
plate appearance of the game, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead
before ultimately defeating the Lady Buccaneers 4-1 in game one of
Friday's twin bill.
The Bulldogs, who have won 10 games this season when scoring in its
first plate appearance of the game, pushed across two runs in the
top of the first, as junior first-baseman drove in both Melody
Harrell and Melinda Dulkowski on a double through the left side,
putting the Bulldogs up 2-0 early.
Gardner-Webb again scored in the top of the second, as Harrell
drove in a run from third on a ground ball to the shortstop,
pushing the Bulldogs lead to three at 3-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs struck again, this time by a
duo of freshmen, as third-baseman McKenzie Morenus belted a two-out
single up the middle to drive in fellow rookie Dulkowski from
second base to increase the Bulldogs lead to 4-0 with two innings
left to play.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Lady Buccaneers spoiled GWU's
Christine Murray's shutout attempt with one swing of the bat, as
shortstop Megan Lombard hit a solo home run over the left field
wall to put Charleston Southern on the scoreboard and cut the GWU
lead to three at 4-1.
Neither team would score in its final at bat, giving the Bulldogs
the 4-1 win.
GWU's Murray (9-13) was dominant in the circle for the Bulldogs, as
the junior gave up only one run on three hits while striking out
nine Charleston Southern batters over the seven-inning affair.
Charleston Southern's Sondra Vetter (11-9) suffered the loss, as
the Bulldogs scored four runs on eight hits against Vetter in 5.0
innings of work. Vetter also struck out six GWU hitters.
Dulkowski led the Bulldogs at the plate, as the centerfielder was
3-4 with two runs scored. Fullwood was 2-4 with a double and two
RBIs, while Morenus was 2-4 with an RBI. Senior Adrienne Smith was
1-3 with a run scored, while fellow classmate Angie Walls was 1-3
with a double.
Lombard, Amy Trenkamp and Ashley Fowler were all 1-3 at the plate
for the Lady Buccaneers, with Lombard's solo home run providing the
lone run of the game for Charleston Southern.
Game 2: Charleston Southern 7, Gardner-Webb
4
Game two proved to be the exact opposite of game one, as it was the
Lady Buccaneers who scored first, taking an early 3-0 lead after
two innings to pick up the 7-4 win.
Charleston Southern got on the board first in the bottom of the
first inning, as Lombard blasted a solo home run, her second of the
day, to lead off the inning for the Lady Buccaneers and give the
home team an early 1-0 lead.
The Lady Buccaneers added two more runs in the second, again by way
of the long ball, as pitcher Jamie Wellons helped herself with a
two run blast, giving both her and Charleston Southern a 3-0 lead
with two innings in the book.
In the fourth inning, it was Gardner-Webb's turn for the long ball,
as Morenus sent a ball flying over the left center field fence for
a solo shot, her second home run of the season, putting the
Bulldogs on the board.
However, with the Lady Buccaneers lead cut to two at 3-1,
Charleston Southern answered with two runs of its own in the bottom
half of the fourth by way of a Wellons RBI bunt single and a
throwing error by the Bulldogs, giving the home team its largest
lead of the game to that point at 5-1.
Yet the young Bulldog squad would not go away, as Coach Cole's
squad scored three in the fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run
double by Dulkowski, followed by an RBI single off the bat of
Fullwood, cutting the Charleston Southern lead to one at 5-4.
Again the Lady Buccaneers had an answer, scoring two unearned runs
on two hits and a GWU fielding error in the bottom of the sixth to
regain a three run lead at 7-4 heading into the final inning of
play.
Despite a lead off single by Jane Savage in the top of the seventh,
the Bulldogs failed to score and saw its comeback come up just
short, falling 7-4 to the Lady Buccaneers.
Senior Angie Walls (0-1) who has started 33 games for the Bulldogs
this season at second-base got the start for the Bulldogs as its
pitching staff is depleted due to a number of injuries. Walls, who
had not pitched since May 12, 2007 against Stetson in the 2007
Atlantic Sun Championship game, was roughed up early giving up two
home runs in the first two innings of play, allowing three runs on
four hits to pick up the loss.
Charleston Southern's Wellons (11-16) picked up the win, as she
allowed four runs on nine hits over 4.1 innings of work, while
Caitlin Allen (1) earned her first save of the year pitching 2.2
innings of shutout ball.
Offensively, a trio of freshman in Savage, Morenus and Dulkowski
led the Bulldogs at the plate. Savage was 3-3 with a double and a
run scored, while Morenus was 2-3 with a home run, double, an RBI
and a run scored. Dulkowski was 1-3 with a double, two RBIs and a
run scored.
Wellons also led the Lady Buccaneers at the plate, as she was 2-2
with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Lomard was 2-3
with a home run, an RBI and a run scored, while Megan Hall was 2-3
with two runs scored.
The rubber game of the three-game series is slated for a 1 p.m.
start tomorrow afternoon.
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| Game 2 Box Score - Charleston Southern 7, Gardner-Webb 4 |
| Game 1 Box Score - Gardner-Webb 4, Charleston Southern 1 |
