Runnin' Bulldogs Win in Offensive Slugfest, 8-7, in Regular Season Finale on Sunday
May 01, 2011 | Softball
Conway, S.C. - The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs did not take its first lead off the game until the final inning of play, as head coach Tom Cole's squad posted eight runs on 16 hits to defeat the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 8-7 in the Runnin' Bulldogs regular season finale on Sunday in Conway, S.C.
The Runnin' Bulldogs and the Chanticleers combined for 15 runs on 28 hits for the game, as Gardner-Webb scored two runs in the top of the seventh to pick up the 8-7 road win.
Gardner-Webb lead-off hitter Samantha Meenaghan started the game off with a single up the middle, which would be a sign of the offensive game for both teams for the game. After the next batter struck out and Meenaghan was thrown out trying to swipe second, junior catcher McKenzie Morenus earned a base on balls. However, the next Runnin' Bulldog hitter struck out ending the half inning with no runs scored.
Yet the Chanticleers took advantage of a GWU error and five hits in the bottom half of the first took jump out to an early lead. After Brooke Donovan reached base safely on a GWU error to lead off the inning and then was bumped up to second by a sacrifice bunt, Chelsea Pineda and Jazmin Daigle ripped back-to-back doubles, as Daigle's two-bagger drove in two to put the Chanticleers up 2-0.
After Sarah Maples then doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out and Ashley Pisone lined out for out number two, Stacy Snellings then hit an RBI single up the middle which was followed by another double, this time off the bat of Michelle Evans, to plate Maples and put the home team up 4-0 after only one inning of play.
The Runnin' Bulldogs got one run back in the top of the third, as Meenaghan doubled to left center to score fellow freshman infielder Rachel Jablonski, who led off the inning with a base-on-balls, from second and cut the Coastal Carolina lead to three at 4-1.
Just like in the top of the third, the Runnin' Bulldogs again pushed across a run in the top of the fourth, as senior Kelsey Witter lead-off the inning with a double. After the next GWU hitter popped out, junior Michelle Primm singled to right field to put runners on first and third with one out. Jablonski then singled up the middle to score Witter from third and put the visitors within striking distance at 4-2.
However, Coastal Carolina refused to let the lead slip away, as Donovan doubled to left with one out in the bottom of the fourth. After moving up to third on a passed ball, Donovan later scored on a wild pitch to put the Chanticleers back in front by three at 5-2.
With one out and a runner on second, Gardner-Webb got out of the fourth with a great defensive double-play, as Morenus caught a foul ball behind the plate and fired to second-base, doubling up Jesse Winans on the play to end the inning.
Refusing to go away, Gardner-Webb's Jordyn Arrowood and Morenus started off the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles. Redshirt-freshman Morgan Baker then doubled through the left side to plate Arrowood and cut the Chanticleers lead to two at 5-3.
However, GWU did not stop there, as junior outfielder Jane Savage drove in Morenus from third on a ground ball out later in the inning to put the Runnin' Bulldogs within one run at 5-4.
Yet again, Coastal Carolina had an answer in the bottom of the inning, as the Chanticleers scored two runs on a Pisone solo home run and a Cacia Pierre RBI single up the middle to again pull out to a three-run lead at 7-4 heading into the final two innings of play.
The scoring for the Runnin' Bulldogs continued in the top of the sixth, as Morenus blasted a two-out two run home run over the left center field fence to again cut the Coastal Carolina lead to one at 7-6.
However, after a Baker single, a wild pitch on strike three allowed Witter to reach base safely and another single by Savage, the game-tying run for GWU was thrown out at third to end the inning with the score still at 7-6 in favor of the Chanticleers.
Down one at 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth, Gardner-Webb freshman hurler Jessica Childers entered the game and got the Chanticleers to go down 1-2-3 to keep the score at 7-6 heading into the seventh and final inning of play.
In the seventh, Primm drew a walk to lead off the inning. After freshman Emily Bowman entered the game for Primm as a pinch runner, Jablonski grounded back to the pitcher who got the lead runner out at second for the first out of the inning.
With Jablonski on first and one out, centerfielder Melinda Dulkowski singled through the left side to put the go ahead run on first base. Meenaghan then singled to right field to load the bases with one out for Arrowood who singled up the middle to drive in both Jablonski and Dulkowski and put the Runnin' Bulldogs on top for the first time in the game at 8-7.
With a one run lead, Coastal Carolina got a two-out single off the bat of Snellings, yet failed to score the game-tying run as GWU's Childers got Evans to strike out swinging to end the game and complete the 8-7 come from behind win from the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Childers (10-11) picked up the win, holding Coastal Carolina scoreless in the final two innings of the game, while Evans (6-10) was handed the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in one inning of work.
Offensively, Arrowood was 2-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Morenus was 2-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Baker was 2-4 with a double and an RBI, while Meenaghan was 3-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
For Coastal Carolina, Snellings was 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Evans and Pineda were both 2-4 with a double. Daigle was 2-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Pisone was 1-4 with a home run.
Gardner-Webb (16-26, 6-12 Big South) will now set its sight on the 2011 Big South Softball Championships on May 12-14th hosted by Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.
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| Box Score: Gardner-Webb 8, Coastal Carolina 7 |
