CHARLESTON, S.C. – Summer Darnell tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout to lead the Gardner-Webb softball team (9-16, 3-5 BSC) to a 4-0 victory over Charleston Southern (20-13, 2-1 BSC) on Saturday afternoon.
Game 1- Gardner-Webb 6, Charleston Southern 9
The Runnin' Bulldogs got great production from Rachel Cumiskey, Scarlet Harris, and Amanda Gomes, who batted fourth, five, and sixth respectively. The trio combined for five hits, three home runs, and four RBI on the afternoon. Kellie Beres increased her batting average to .424 on the season, going 2-4 at the plate, and Megan Champion also had an effective day at the plate, with two hits in her three at-bats.
The Buccaneers got a great pitching performance from their starting pitcher for a second straight day. Jennifer Giles tossed four strong innings, allowing just two runs, and striking out nine to earn her sixth victory of the season. Amanda Matsumoto was a catalyst at the plate once again for Charleston Southern in the lead-off spot, going 4-4 with three runs.
Beres singled to lead off the first, and advanced to second base on a ground out by Megan Gibbons. Cumiskey struck out for the second out of the inning, but Beres moved up 60 feet on a passed ball. The Dawgs were unable to drive in Beres, as Giles struck out Harris to end the threat for the Dawgs in the first.
After Wark walked Matsumoto, Marci Christian gave CSU a 2-0 lead with one swing of the bat. Christian took the first pitch she saw and slugged it over the wall for a two-run home run. After a Gandara double, Samantha Harrell replaced Wark, and shut down the Buccaneers to keep the lead at 2-0 after one inning of play.
Gomes was the first batter of the second for the Dawgs, and rocketed a 1-0 pitcher over the left field wall for GWU's first run of the afternoon. Charleston Southern added four runs on three hits in the second, increasing its lead to 6-1.
Beres collected her second hit of the day, after she legged out a ground ball to the shortstop, and immediately stole second to advance into scoring position. Breanna Blakley struck out on a 3-2 pitch, but Beres utilized her speed on the basepaths to steal third base. Beres would come around to the second run of the game for GWU on a double by Cumiskey.
The Buccaneers had their first three batters reach base in the third, and Gandara drove in two runs with a double to right center, but after allowing a combined 10 runs over the first three inning, Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern cooled off and did not score a run in the fourth and fifth innings.
Jill Blank and Taylar Pridgen each recorded an RBI for the Dawgs in the sixth, while Haley Elkins hit a solo shot in the home half of the inning, as CSU held a 9-4 lead heading into the seventh and final inning.
Elkins replaced Giles on the mound for CSU, and got Megan Gibbons to pop up for the first out of the inning. It looked like Elkins would cruise through the inning, but Cumiskey and Harris hit back-to-back solo home runs, but ultimately it was not enough, as Charleston Southern would take game one of the double header 9-6.
Game 2- Gardner-Webb 6, Charleston Southern 0
Summer Darnell was magnificent for the Runnin' Bulldogs in the second game of the afternoon, tossing a complete-game four hit shutout. Gibbons and Harris each drove in two runs, and Champion recorded two hits.
Gandara got the start for the Buccaneers, and GWU scored four runs off the CSU starter, forcing the Buccaneers to go to the bullpen after just four innings.
Beres and Gibbons recorded two straight outs for the Dawgs, but Cumiskey kept the inning alive, reaching base on an error by the first baseman. Harris made CSU pay, launching a two-run bomb to give Gardner-Webb a 2-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb continued to hold the lead until the fourth inning, when Gomes blasted a solo shot to extend the GWU lead to 3-0.
Darnell was masterful on the mound for GWU, allowing just one hit by the Buccaneers over the first four innings. Beres tripled in the fifth, and Gibbons took a 1-0 pitch and roped an RBI double for the fourth run of the game for the Dawgs.
Gibbons and Jill Blank each recorded an RBI in the sixth and seventh inning respectively, but Darnell allowed just two hits over the final two innings, to send Gardner-Webb to the 6-0 victory.
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Clinton, S.C. to face Presbyterian for a single game slated for 3:00 p.m.
