No. 6 GWU Uses Speed to Defeat No. 7 Winthrop, 2-1, on Thursday Night at the 2011 Big South Softball Championship
May 13, 2011 | Softball
Rock Hill, S.C. - Gardner-Webb centerfielder Melinda Dulkowski posted a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to lift No. 6 Gardner-Webb to the 2-1 win over No. 7 Winthrop in game four of the 2011 Big South Softball Championship presented by Musco Lighting Thursday afternoon at Terry Field in Rock Hill, S.C.
With the win, the Runnin' Bulldogs improve to 2-0 on the day and 18-26, while Winthrop falls to 16-35.
Winthrop jumped on the board in the top of the first to take the 1-0 lead, as Megan Chapman led the inning off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Teja Durante. Three batters later, Veronica Berrie scored Chapman with a single to left field to give the visitors the early lead.
Gardner-Webb moved one across in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score at 1-1. Dulkowski got things going by reaching on an error and moved up as Samantha Meenaghan reached on yet another Winthrop infield error. After a sacrifice bunt by sophomore shortstop Jordyn Arrowood put Meenaghan and Dulkowski on second and third, junior McKenzie Morenus hit a towering fly ball to center to score Dulkowski and knot the score up.
The Runnin' Bulldogs put the game away in the bottom of the seventh to pick up the 2-1 win. With one out, Jane Savage lined a double to right center. Freshman third-baseman Rachel Jablonski put runners on the corners with a line drive single down the right field line, bringing up Dulkowski with one out. After fouling off the first pitch in a squeeze play attempt, Dulkowski hit a flare to right center that dropped in between three Winthrop players scoring Savage for the game-winning run.
Cindy Boomhower (8-14) picked up her second win of the day in the circle for the Runnin' Bulldogs, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out five in seven innings of work, while Chelsey Schoenfeldt (9-16) suffered the loss with two runs on five hits and three strikeouts.
Dulkowski was 2-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored, while Jablonski, Meenaghan and Savage were all 1-3 for the game.
For Winthrop, Berrie was 2-3 with an RBI, while Durante and Brittany Stoudemire each had one hit apiece.
Gardner-Webb will play the winner of the No. 2 Liberty/No. 7 Winthrop game tomorrow at 12:30pm. Winthrop will play No. 2 Liberty at 10:00am tomorrow.
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| Box Score: No. 6 Gardner-Webb 2, No. 7 Winthrop 1 |
