KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C.- Summer Darnell and Ashley Wark limited N.C. Central to just two hits to send the Gardner-Webb softball team to an 8-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, and Savannah Burns launched her first home run of the season, as the Runnin' Bulldogs completed the sweep of North Carolina Central with a 6-2 victory.
Game 1- Gardner-Webb 8, North Carolina Central 2
Taylar Pridgen went 3-3 at the plate, and Kellie Beres and Rachel Cumiskey each chipped in with two hits apiece to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs to their third victory of the season,in the first of two games on the afternoon.
Summer Darnell tossed allowed just two hits over four innings, and struck out five to earn her second victory of the season. Ashley Wark replaced Darnell in the fifth inning, and allowed just one hit over the remaining three innings to earn her first save.
North Carolina Central jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Emerie Germ flew out to center field, but Case Hargett scored on an error by the pitcher.
The Eagles continued to hold a 1-0 advantage entering the top of the third, but would double the lead to 2-0 when Domin Wilson reached base on a fielders choice, allowing Hargett to score her second run of the game.
Pridgen and Beres led off the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back singles, and the Runnin' Bulldogs had runners on first and second with nobody out in the inning. Gibbons advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, and Cumiskey walked to load the bases.
Scarlett Harris scored Pridgen and Beres, with an single to right field, and advanced to second base on an error by the right fielder. Later in the inning, Amanda Gomes scored Harris with an RBI single, and Gardner-Webb took a 4-2 advatage after three innings of play.
Pridgen once again led off the fourth with a single, and Beres advanced her to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Gibbons reached first base on an error by the third baseman, and Cumiskey plated two more runs with a triple to left center. Harris followed Cumiskey with a walk, and Gomes followed up with a sac fly to left field, allowing Cumiskey to score GWU's seventh run of the game.
The Runnin' Bulldogs added a run in the sixth, and Wark struck out the side in the seventh to send GWU to a 8-2 victory in the first of two games of the afternoon.
Game 2- Gardner-Webb 6, North Carolina Central 2
In the second game of the afternoon, Harris and Savannah Burns each had 2 RBI and Sam Harrell allowed scattered five hits over five innings to pick up her first win of the season.
The Eagles would once again jump out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Gardner-Webb would tie the game at one in the bottom of the inning. Harris roped a double to center field to score Beres, and GWU and N.C. Central would be deadlocked at one, after one inning of play.
Breanna Blakley scored the second run of the game for the Dogs, on an RBI single to third base by Beres. The Runnin' Bulldogs would plate three runs in the home half of the third, as Cumiskey hit an RBI ground-rule double, and later in the inning, Burns blasted her first home run of the season over the left field fence, to extend the GWU lead to 5-2.
N.C. Central and Gardner-Webb would each add a run in the fourth, but Wark limited the Eagles to just two hits over the final two innings, to send the Runnin' Bulldogs to the 6-2 victory.
Gardner-Webb returns to action this weekend when it hosts Drexel for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. Saturday's games will be played at Crest High School.
