Gardner-Webb Hits Its Way to an 8-3 Win Over No. 5 Charleston Southern in Game One of the 2010 Big South Softball Championship
May 13, 2010 | Softball
Conway, S.C. - For the second straight year, the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in the opening game of the Big South Softball Championship tournament, this time picking up an 8-3 win as the No. 4 seed over the No. 5 seed at the CCU Softball Field in Conway, S.C.
Charleston Southern struck first, as the Buccaneers pushed across a run in the top of the first on a Shayla Cullum RBI single to left to plate Megan Hall on a close play at home to put the visitors up early at 1-0.
Gardner-Webb answered back in the bottom half of the first, as senior first-baseman Christa Fullwood scored on a deep sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of sophomore outfielder Lindsea Hutchinson to knot the score up at 1-1.
The Lady Bulldogs took its first lead of the contest in the bottom of the second, as GWU put together three straight singles with two outs in the inning. Sophomore outfielder Jane Savage singled through the left side and then promptly stole second base. Fullwood then hit a laser up the middle and into center field to score Savage from second. After Fullwood advanced to second on the throw home, designated player McKenzie Morenus then hit a flare to right center field to score Fullwood from second base and push GWU out in front by two at 3-1.
Charleston Southern knotted the score up once more at 3-3, as the Buccaneers scored two runs on two hits and two Gardner-Webb errors in the top of the fifth which ended with Savage throwing out a CSU runner at the plate from center field.
The Lady Bulldogs refused to hang their heads and instead bounced back in the bottom of the fifth. After Kelsey Witter had a home run to center field robbed by CSU's Melissa Adams for the first out of the inning, Hutchinson then singled up the middle. Senior shortstop Melody Harrell then hit a line drive past the second-baseman that rolled all the way to the wall for an RBI double; scoring Hutchinson and putting GWU back in front at 4-3.
The double drove CSU starter Sandra Vetter from the game, yet GWU wasn't done as sophomore left fielder Kelly Montgomery then reached base safely on a Buccaneer throwing error which allowed Harrell to score all the way from second and push GWU's lead back to two at 5-3.
GWU's Savage then singled to right center to put two runners on with two outs with the top of the order coming up. Savage's third hit of the game proved to be vital, as Fullwood then blasted a home run into the palm trees over the center field fence to push the home team out to a five run lead at 8-3.
Gardner-Webb's Cindy Boomhower came into the contest to start the sixth and shut the Buccaneer offense down in the final two innings of play, including sending CSU down in order in the top of the seventh to help GWU to the 8-3 win.
Senior hurler Christine Murray (11-14) picked up the win, as she allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four over five innings of work.
CSU's Vetter (9-16) was handed the loss, as the righty gave up five runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits in 4.1 innings of work.
At the plate, GWU's Fullwood was 2-4 with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored, while Savage was 3-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Hutchinson was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Morenus was 2-4 with an RBI.
For CSU, Hall was 2-4 with two runs scored, while Cullum was 1-4 with an RBI.
With the win the Lady Bulldogs remain in the winners' bracket of the 2010 Big South Softball Championship presented by Musco Lighting and will take on the No. 1 seeded Radford Highlanders at 4:30 p.m. today, Thursday, May 13.
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| Box Score: Gardner-Webb 8, Charleston Southern 3 |
