BOILING SPRINGS – Lafayette rapped out 12 hits and scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to beat Gardner-Webb, 7-6, Sunday afternoon at John Henry Moss Stadium/Bill Masters Field.

The Leopards (4-8) took an early 2-0 lead in the second, getting a leadoff double from Campbell Lipe, a single from Alex Woinski and a walk to load the bases. Freshman pitcher Peyton McGuire nearly worked out of the jam, starting a 1-2-3 double play to dampen the rally ¬– but a passed ball allowed Woinski to score for a 1-0 lead and Jackson Kramer singled up the box for a 2-0 margin.

Danny Sullivan ripped a solo home run to left to lead off the bottom of the second inning, cutting the lead to 2-1 – but Lafayette responded with another rally in the third for a run on Steven Cohen's RBI single.

Gardner-Webb (18-4) rallied in the third for its first lead of the game.

Three consecutive doubles – from Mason Fox, Tyler Best and Patrick Graham – cut the lead to 3-2 and an RBI groundout from Collin Thacker made tied the game at three runs each. Sullivan nearly left the yard again, with his long RBI sacrifice fly to the wall in right giving GWU a 4-3 lead.

Lafayette scored single runs in the fourth and the fifth to retake the lead, but Gardner-Webb had one rally left.

Thacker led off the sixth with a single up the middle – extending his hitting streak to 22 games – and moved to second on Taylor Fisher's single to left. Eric Jones came through with a big hit, belting a two-run double to the warning track in left for a 6-5 GWU advantage.

The Leopards would strike last, however, getting a two-run double from AK Kloehn to dead center in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead back for good.

Reliever David Guisti had little trouble finishing the game, stranding a walked batter in the seventh and sitting Gardner-Webb down in order in the eighth and ninth for a win out of the bullpen.

Guisti (2-0) hurled 3.1 innings without allowing a hit.

The Leopards were led at the plate by Woinski (3-for-4) and Kramer (3-for-4). Cohen (2-for-5) and Lipe (2-for-5) also had multiple hits.

Reliever Tyler Johnson (2-1) took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits in 4.2 innings of work. McGuire worked 2.1 innings in his first career start. Ryan Boelter came on to keep the game within striking distance, hurling 2.0 shutout frames.

The 'Dogs had nine hits, with Fox (2-for-5) leading the way. The Canton, N.C., rookie also stole his seventh base of the season.