Runnin' Bulldogs Run Past S.C. State for Two Home Wins on Wednesday Afternoon
April 27, 2011 | Softball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs collected 10 stolen bases offensively, while the Runnin' Bulldog pitching staff struck out 17 total batters in a 5-3 and 5-2 double-header sweep of the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Varsity Field in Boiling Springs, N.C.
The two wins push Gardner-Webb to 15-24 overall on the season, while the S.C. State Lady Bulldogs fall to 8-38 overall on the year.
Game 1: Gardner-Webb 5, S.C. State 3
Gardner-Webb had four players combine to swipe six bases, while redshirt-junior pitcher Cindy Boomhower struck out a season-high 11 batters to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 5-3 game one win over S.C. State.
The Runnin' Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead after two innings, as McKenzie Morenus ripped an RBI single to left field to score sophomore Jordyn Arrowood in the first, while redshirt-sophomore outfielder Melinda Dulkowski and Arrowood each had an RBI single in the bottom of the second giving the home team an early lead.
However, in the top of the fourth, Gardner-Webb allowed S.C. State to tie the score up, as the Lady Bulldogs scored three runs on two hits and a GWU error, highlighted by a two-run RBI single through the right side by LaTavia Riley, which knotted score up at 3-3.
Gardner-Webb retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as freshman catcher Elizabeth Williams lined a one-out triple to right center field to get into scoring position. After a line out to center field, junior Michelle Primm came up big with a two-out line drive single to center to score Williams and put the Runnin' Bulldogs back on top at 4-3.
With Primm on first and two outs, pitch hitter Brittney Morrow singled through the left side, which was followed by a third straight two-out single off the bat of Jane Savage, plating Primm from second to push the Runnin' Bulldogs in front by two at 5-3.
The two run lead was enough for Boomhower, as the righty put the Lady Bulldogs down in order in both the sixth and the seventh to give the home Runnin' Bulldogs the 5-3 win.
In the win, Boomhower (6-13) gave up three runs, all of which were unearned, on four hits, while striking out 11 over seven innings.
S.C. State's Raven Johnson (4-19) was handed the loss, allowing five runs, three of which were earned, on 11 hits over 4.2 innings of action.
At the plate, Primm was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Arrowood was 2-4 with an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases. Dulkowski was 2-3 with an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases, while off the bench Williams was 1-2 with a triple and a run scored.
For the Lady Bulldogs, Denitia Carter was 3-3 with a run scored, while Riley was 1-3 with two RBIs.
Game 2: Gardner-Webb 5, S.C. State 2
Just like in game one, GWU took an early 3-0 lead, yet this time held off the Lady Bulldogs to hold on to the lead for the entire game in the 5-2 win.
After the Runnin' Bulldogs scored in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Morenus to score Samantha Meenaghan and put the home team up 1-0 early, neither team scored again until GWU plated two more runs in the bottom of the third.
In the bottom half of the third, Dulkowski led the inning off with a single to left field, stole second and then moved up to third on a ground ball out. With one out, Meenaghan singled to second base to score Dulkowski and give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
On the next pitch Meenaghan stole second and then like Dulkowski earlier in the inning, moved up to third on a ground ball out. With two outs, Morenus singled to short to score Meenaghan from third and put GWU up 3-0 after three.
S.C. State refused to go away, as the Lady Bulldogs scored a run in the top of the fifth off a Vianney Gomez triple and a GWU error, and then again in the top of the sixth by way of Kelsey Grochow RBI single, cutting the Gardner-Webb lead to one at 3-2.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came through with two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, as Primm doubled down the left field line to score two, and give the home team a 5-2 lead heading into the final inning of play.
In the seventh, freshman Alyssa Gutierrez (3) picked up where fellow classmate and starter Jessica Childers left off, as Gutierrez recorded her third save of the season in striking out two out of four batters faced in the final inning of play to preserve the 5-2 win for Gardner-Webb.
Childers (9-10) earned the win, allowing two runs, one of which was earned, on seven hits and two walks, while striking out five in six innings of work.
Gomez (4-19) suffered the loss for S.C. State, as she allowed five runs on eight hits in six innings of action.
Primm once again led the way at the plate, as the junior was 1-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Morenus was 2-2 with a sacrifice fly, two RBIs and a run scored.
For S.C. State, Shannon Baity was 2-4 with a run scored, while Grochow was 1-2 with a base-on-balls and an RBI.
Gardner-Webb (15-24, 5-10 Big South) will wrap up its 2011 regular season slate with a three-game conference weekend series this weekend at Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. The two teams' will play a double-header slated at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 30th, and then a third and final game at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 1st.
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| Game 2 Box Score: Gardner-Webb 5, S.C. State 2 |
| Game 1 Box Score: Gardner-Webb 5, S.C. State 3 |
