Gomes Two-Run Blast In The Ninth Sends Gardner-Webb To An 8-6 Extra-Inning Victory Over Radford: Advance To Face Top-Seed Longwood At 2:30 p.m.
May 07, 2015 | Softball
BUIES CREEK, N.C.- Amanda Gomes hit a two-run home run to break a 6-6 tie and send the Gardner-Webb softball team to an 8-6 victory in a single elimination game of the Big South Tournament on Thursday morning.
Gardner-Webb advances to play the top seed Longwood later this afternoon (Thursday) at 2:30 p.m.
Summer Darnell tossed a complete game for the Dogs, scattering seven hits and struck out three, to earn her 11th victory of the season, which is the most victories by a pitcher for GWU since Cindy Boomhower had 13 in 2012.
Megan Gibbons led the way offensively for the Dogs tying a season-high with three hits, scoring two runs, and driving in three big RBI, while Scarlett Harris also drove in two for the game.
The Runnin' Bulldogs led 6-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Highlanders collected two hits and scored three runs to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
Looking to get off to a quick start, the Dogs got a leadoff walk by Kellie Beres and Gibbons put down a sacrifice bunt to move Beres into scoring position. Cumiskey popped out to the first baseman for the second out and Scarlett Harris drew a walk, but the inning would end on a Gomes fly-out to left field.
Radford jumped out quickly in the bottom of the inning, as Becky Mantel walked and stole second to put herself into scoring position. Megan Honaker could not do anything with the opportunity grounding out to Savannah Burns, but Corey Burns blasted a two-run homer run over the left centerfield wall to put the Highlanders up 2-0.
The Dogs trailed heading into the third inning and Taylar Pridgen and Beres both recorded outs to begin the inning, but Gibbons kept the inning alive with a double down the left field line, which was followed by a Cumiskey walk to give GWU two runners on base. Harris would be next to bat for GWU, and came up huge singling home Gibbons to cut the deficit to one.
Gardner-Webb exploded for three hits and took advantage of two Radford errors to score four runs to take a 5-2 lead after the fourth inning. Champion walked to begin the inning and Burns bunted Champion over to second base. Jill Blank hit a ground ball to the second baseman, but Radford misplayed it allowing Blank to reach safely, and Pridgen followed Blank with a single, as she put down a fantastic bunt to reach base safely. Beres grounded into a fielders choice for the second out of the inning, but Champion scored on the play. Gibbons hit an RBI double to left center and Harris hit an RBI single to complete a four-run fourth inning by GWU.
Gibbons drove in her third RBI of the game in the sixth to extend the lead to four heading into the final at-bats of the game for the Highlanders, leading 6-3.
Backy Mantel flied out to begin the seventh, but Honaker singled and both Burns and Maggie Rowe both walked to loaded the bases for the Highlanders. Darnell got Mackenzie Blackwell to groundout to Burns, but Honaker scored on the play to cut the defecit to just two. Down to their final out, Kayla Bishton came up clutch tying to the game six with a double to left center to send the game into extra innings.
The Runnin' Bulldogs would go down in order and Mantel hit a two-out single, but neither team would score a run in the eighth.
Cumiskey hit a ground ball to Burns to begin the ninth, but the ball was misplayed allowing the freshman to reach base. After a sac bunt by Harris, Gomes belted her fifth home run of the season to send the Dogs to the 8-6 victory.
