Gardner-Webb Softball Falls at Home to Charleston Southern on Senior Day
April 25, 2010 | Softball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - After having the first-pitch pushed back three hours due to the heavy rainfall over the night and then having a pre-game ceremony before the game to recognize its 2010 Senior Class, the Lady Bulldogs appeared to have run out of energy, falling to the Charleston Southern Buccaneers 16-5 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 17-29 on the year and 7-10 in the Big South, sitting a half a game behind Charleston Southern which improved to 8-10 in the conference an 25-26-1 overall with the win.
From the opening pitch, which took place at 4 p.m., three hours after the originally scheduled time of 1 p.m., the Buccaneers came ready to play, as the visitors pushed across three runs on two hits, highlighted by a Jana Matthews two run triple, in the top of the first to put the Lady Bulldogs down early at 3-0.
Gardner-Webb senior Christa Fullwood led of the Lady Bulldogs half of the inning with a single to right center, which was followed by a single through the left side of the infield by sophomore designated player McKenzie Morenus. However, both Fullwood and Morenus would be left stranded as the next three GWU hitters went down in order, allowing Charleston Southern to escape with its 3-0 lead.
Charleston Southern added a run in the top of the third by way of a Matthews' solo home run to left center to push its lead to four at 4-0.
The Lady Bulldogs again ripped off two singles in the bottom of the third, one by senior Mandy Ward and another by junior outfielder Kelsey Witter, yet failed to score and found themselves still down four after three innings of play.
In the fourth Charleston Southern found its offensive grove, as the Buccaneers scored six runs on five hits, a hit batsman and a walk, to run out to a 10-0 lead.
However, the Lady Bulldogs refused to go away, as GWU plated five runs of its own in the bottom half of the fourth by way of a two run single off the bat off Fullwood and a three-run home run by Morenus, cutting the Buccaneers lead to five at 10-5.
Yet the Lady Bulldogs momentum was quickly erased, as Charleston Southern put the game away for good with six runs on seven hits and one GWU error in the top of the fifth to seal the 16-5 victory.
The Lady Bulldog offense, which blasted eight extra base hits, including four home runs in yesterday's double header, produced only one extra base hit on Sunday, the three-run home run in the fifth off the bat of Morenus.
Senior hurler Alison Coffey (0-2) was handed the loss, as a total of five different Gardner-Webb pitchers were used over the five inning game.
Charleston Southern's Caitlin Allen (6-3) picked up the win, as she surrendered five runs on nine hits while striking out four and was the beneficiary of a Buccaneers offense that scored 16 runs on 15 hits.
On Senior Day, Fullwood was 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while fellow seniors Melody Harrell and ward were 1-2 and 1-3, respectively. Morenus was 2-3 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored, while Jordyn Arrowood, Jane Savage and Witter were all 1-2 on the day.
At the plate for the Buccaneers, Matthews was 4-4 as she hit for the cycle, collecting a home run, a triple, a double and a single for the game.
Prior to the game, Gardner-Webb's six seniors - Ashley Whitlock, Alison Coffey, Christine Murray, Mandy Ward, Melody Harrell and Christa Fullwood - were all recognized for their careers as both students and athletes while at GWU.
Gardner-Webb will wrap up its regular season Big South Conference slate on Tuesday, April 27, as the Lady Bulldogs will host the Winthrop Lady Eagles at 4 p.m. at Varsity Field in Boiling Springs, N.C.
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| Box Score: Charleston Southern 16, Gardner-Webb 5 (5) |
