ROCK HILL, S.C.- The Gardner-Webb softball team managed 10 hits, but Winthrop used a four-run third inning to send the Eagles to the 8-1 victory and complete the three-game series sweep on Wednesday afternoon at Terry Field.
The two teams played a doubleheader against each other earlier this month with the Eagles winning both games in a tight battle. Winthrop prevailed over the Runnin' Bulldogs 4-3 in 11 innings, and was victorious 3-1 in the second game of the afternoon.
Megan Champion was 2-3 on the afternoon and drove in the only run of the game for the Dogs, while Megan Gibbons and Jill Blank had solid days offensively collecting two hits a-piece.
Dallas King and Sutton Watson combined to limit the Runnin' Bulldogs to just one run for the game. King got the start scattering seven hits over five innings and was replaced by Watson, who entered the game in the sixth inning, allowing just two hits and struck out one to send the Eagles to the win.
Gardner-Webb got off to a quick start at the plate, as its first three runners reached safely to load the bases with nobody out, with the cleanup hitter Scarlett next to bat. Harris hit a ground ball to the third baseman who relayed it to home for the force out. King made a great pitch, striking out Gomes and the inning would end when Scarlett Burns popped up to King.
Winthrop would take the lead in the bottom of the inning plating two runs on three hits. After Paige Haley singled to lead off the first, Darnell recorded two-straight outs, but Kelsey Ritter walked and stole second base to give the Eagles runners on second and third. Leah Young drove in the first two runs of the afternoon on a single and Haley Zuehlke followed with an RBI single to give the Eagles the 3-0 lead.
The Runnin' Bulldogs would put two runners on base in the second getting singles from Blank and Taylar Pridgen, but Beres popped into a double-play to end the inning.
Winthrop's first two runners in the fourth would reach base before Ritter fouled out to Darnell, and Leah Young was the next batter for the Eagles. Leah Young and Zuehlke each drove in a run with a single and sacrifice fly respectively, but the Eagles would put the game out of reach on a two-run home run by Tara Loken, which completed a four-run fourth for WU.
Champion broke up the shutout with an RBI in the fourth but it was not enough as Winthrop would defeat GWU 8-1 to complete the three-game series.
Gardner-Webb returns to action this weekend when it hosts Radford for a three-game series. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Sunday's game is slated for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch. Prior to Sunday's game, Gardner-Webb's three seniors, Savannah Burns, Taylar Pridgen, and Kellie Beres will be honored.
