Longwood Walk-Off Home Run Hands Gardner-Webb a 4-2 Loss
May 10, 2013 | Softball
Rock Hill, S.C. - Gardner-Webb redshirt-junior first-baseman Morgan Baker tied up the game in the top of the seventh on an RBI single, only to see No. 3 Longwood's Megan Baltzell hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to push the Lancers to a 4-2 win over the Runnin' Bulldogs on day two of the 2013 Big South Softball Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting Friday afternoon at Terry Field in Rock Hill, S.C.
The loss ended GWU's season at 13-31 overall, while Longwood improves to 37-19 and stays alive in the conference postseason event.
Looking to get on the scoreboard first, Gardner-Webb lead-off hitter Samantha Meenaghan started off the game with a double to left field over the left fielder's head. After sophomore outfielder Kellie Beres reached base safely on a Longwood error by the shortstop to put runners on first and second with no outs, Baker then lined out to short for the first out in the inning.
Shortstop Savannah Burns then hit a sharp groundball back to the pitcher and moved the runners up to second and third, however, the next Runnin' Bulldog hitter would strike out swinging to strand two and keep the score at 0-0 through a half inning of play.
After holding Longwood to only one base runner in each of the first three innings of play by way of two walks and a single, the Runnin' Bulldogs pushed across a run by way of another Lancer error in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.
Junior designated player Elizabeth Williams started the inning with a one-out walk, followed by a line drive single to left field by centerfielder Melinda Dulkowski. With pinch runner Mariana Gallardo on second and Dulkowski on first, freshman Jill Blank hit a groundball back to the pitcher when hurler Libby Morris threw the ball away trying to get the lead runner at third and allowed Gallardo to score the first run of the game on the error.
Looking to add to the 1-0 lead, GWU loaded the bases, yet saw the final two outs of the inning come on back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and send the game to the bottom of the fourth with the visitors in front by one.
Longwood got the run back in the bottom of the fifth with one swing of the bat, as lead-off hitter Kori Nishitomi belted a two-out solo home run over the right field fence to tie the score up at 1-1 after five complete. The home run was her third on the year.
The Lancers took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth, as the home team put runners on first and third on two singles with one out. After pinch runner Amy Putnam stole second, Longwood's Emily Murphy laid down a perfect bunt between the pitcher and the third-baseman to plate pinch runner Casey Lifsey from third and put the Lancers on top at 2-1 heading into the final inning of play.
Refusing to roll over and play dead, the Runnin' Bulldogs' Taylar Pridgen started the top of the seventh with a single up the middle to bring up the top of the order. Meenaghan grounded into a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning, while Beres followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second.
GWU's Baker came through with a clutch hit, as the Big South Second-Team All-Conference selection lined to left center field to drive in Meenaghan from second base and tie the score up at 2-2.
In the bottom half of the seventh, after a single and a sacrifice bunt, Big South All-Conference First-Team selection Baltzell hit an 0-2 pitch deep to center field and out of play for a two-run walk-off home run to give the No. 3 seeded Lancers the 4-2 win. The home run was Baltzell's League leading 28th bomb of the year.
The win went to Longwood's Morris (17-7), who earned the complete game win, allowing two runs, one of which was earned, on six hits and two walks, while striking out five GWU batters.
GWU's Childers (4-12) suffered the loss, as the junior held the high-powered Longwood offense to only four runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out two over 6.1 innings of work.
At the plate, six different Runnin' Bulldog batters posted one hit apiece led by Baker, who was 1-for-4 with an RBI single, while Pridgen (1-for-2), Blank (1-for-3), Dulkowski (1-for-3), Beres (1-for-4) and Meenaghan (1-for-4, double, run) combined for the other five hits.
For Longwood, Baltzell was 1-for-4 with the game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, while Nishitomi was 2-for-3 with a solo home run.
Gardner-Webb finished the season at 13-31 overall and bowed out of the Big South Conference postseason tournament without a win for the first time in the program's five-year conference history.
###
| Box Score: No. 3 Longwood 4, No. 7 GWU 2 |
| 2013 Gardner-Webb Softball Final Season Statistics |
