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BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb erased an early 5-1 deficit with a three-run sixth inning and held off James Madison for a 7-6 win in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

It marked the 17th consecutive home win for the Runnin' Bulldogs (16-1), dating back to last season.

Trailing 5-1 after the Dukes (7-8) plated two in the top of the fifth, Gardner-Webb finally got on the board with a two-out rally. Mason Fox laced a two-out single to left, moving Jacob Walker – who walked with one away – to second. Taylor Fisher's RBI single up the middle drove in Walker and Eric Jones followed with an RBI knock to left to trim James Madison's lead to 5-3.

The Dukes got out of that jam, but Gardner-Webb would push three runs across in the sixth to take the lead for good.

Collin Thacker struck out to lead off the frame, but reached on a passed ball. Danny Sullivan followed with a sharp single to left and Patrick Graham came through with a clutch, two-run double down the left field line to tie the game. The Dukes went to the bullpen, but Blair Huggins put the 'Dogs up 6-5 with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Graham.

The Runnin' Bulldogs added an insurance run in the seventh, with Fisher hit by a pitch to start the bottom half of the inning. A fielding miscue on Paul Trick's sacrifice bunt led to the run, as an ill-advised throw to third got away and allowed Fisher to ramble home for a 7-5 lead. Another call to the bullpen paid off, as reliever Matt Marsilli coaxed two pop ups to end the inning.

James Madison struck for a run in the eighth to pull closer, getting a two-out single through the left side by Adam Sisk, a stolen base and a two-out single from Zach Tondi to make the score 7-6. Relief ace Wil Sellers closed the door from there, getting a strikeout to strand the tying run on base.

Sellers retired the Dukes in order in the ninth, getting a pair of solid defensive plays on the infield and ending the game with a strikeout.

Jeremy Walker (4-0) picked up the win, striking out 11 batters in 6.0 innings of work. He scattered seven hits and gave up five runs in the start. Ryan Boelter came on to pitch 0.2 scoreless frames. Sellers picked up his fourth save of the season with 2.1 innings of solid work – fanning three and allowing just one run on two singles.

The 'Dogs had nine hits in the opener, with Fox (2-for-4, run) leading the way. Fisher (1-for-3, RBI), Jones (1-for-4, RBI), Thacker (1-for-3, 2B, 2 runs), Sullivan (1-for-4, run), Graham (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Walker (1-for-1, run, RBI) and Chandler Redmond (1-for-2) also had hits for Gardner-Webb.

Walker's RBI single in the second inning followed Thacker's leadoff double to trim an early JMU lead to 3-1. The double extended Thacker's active hit streak to 17 games.

The Dukes got a two-run home run from Sisk and a towering solo shot from Tondi to go up 3-0 in the second inning.

James Madison starter Colton Harlow (0-2) took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5.0 innings of work. The southpaw fanned six and walked two on 91 pitches.

Tondi (3-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs) was the star at the plate for James Madison, which collected 10 hits, but struck out 15 times in the game as a unit. Chad Carroll (2-for-5, run, RBI), Kyle McPherson (2-for-4, run) and Sisk (2-for-4, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI) also had multi-hit games.