SHELBY, N.C.- Rachel Cumiskey blasted her first career home run and drove in 5 RBI, but the Gardner-Webb softball team (1-3) dropped both games of a doubleheader to East Tennessee State (2-4), in its home-opener on Tuesday afternoon, at Crest High School.
East Tennessee State scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to win the first game of the day 9-8, and pounded out 11 hits in game-two, as the Buccaneers would complete the sweep with the 8-5 victory.
Offensively, the Runnin' Bulldogs were led by Scarlett Harris who batted .714 on the afternoon, drilling her second home run of the season and driving in four runs.
Game 1- GWU 8, ETSU 9
Gardner-Webb jumped out to an early 2-0 led in the bottom of the first inning, when Kellie Beres reached first on an error by the third baseman, allowing Taylar Pridgen to score the first run of the day. Beres scored later in the inning, when the ETSU catcher dropped the third strike, allowing Beres to score on the throw to first base.
The Buccaneers would plate three in the top of the second on an RBI single by Alex Everett, and later in the inning, Latosha Rectenwald rocketed a two-run home run.
ETSU added a run in the third, and two more in the fourth, to take a 6-2 lead after three and a half innings played.
In the bottom of the fourth, GWU exploded for six runs to take an 8-6 lead. Beres hit an RBI single to first base, allowing Summer Darnell to score, which was followed by an two RBI single by Cumiskey. Later in the inning, Harris drilled a double to right field, and Megan Gibbons followed with a own double to left field, to score Harris.
The Buccaneers added a run in the fifth, and trailed 8-7 heading into their last at-bats in the top of the seventh.
After two consecutive outs to lead off the top of the seventh, Taylor Carter singled to bring up Casey Pickett. Pickett roped a double to score Carter, and Mykeah Johnson reached base on an error, allowing Picket to score to give ETSU the 9-8 comeback victory.
Game 2- GWU 5, ETSU 8
Sam Harrell got the start in the second game of the day, and sent ETSU down in order through the first two innings. Pitckett and Rectenwald led the third inning off with back-to-back solo home runs, and Taylor Carter added an RBI single later in the inning, as the Buccaneers would take a 3-0 lead after the top half of the third inning.
Cumiskey hit an RBI single to center field, which scored Jill Blank to cut the GWU deficit to 3-1 after three innings of play.
ETSU added three runs in the fifth, but Harris drove in Pridgen on an RBI single to make the score 6-2, after the bottom of the fourth.
The Buccaneers added two additional runs in the sixth, and would lead 8-2 headed into GWU's last at-bats of the game.
Jill Blank walked to start off the seventh, but Pridgen and Beres both had consecutive strike outs, and GWU was down to its last out of the game. Cumiskey took a pitch and drilled it over the center field wall for a two-run home run, and was followed by a solo shot by Harris, to cut the ETSU lead to just two. Gibbons extended the inning with a walk, and Amanda Gomes singled to left field, but the GWU comeback would come up short, as Breanna Blakley struck out swinging to end the rally for the Runnin' Bulldogs, and ETSU would take the second game of the day 8-5.
Gardner-Webb returns to action this weekend when it travels to Birmingham, Ala. To compete in the Samford University Tournament.
