Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2) | GWUphotos.com
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.- Kaylee Wacaster's double in the bottom of the fourth gave the Runnin' Bulldogs a 3-2 lead, and Jill Blank's RBI single provided insurance as the Gardner-Webb Softball split a doubleheader with Charleston Southern on Saturday afternoon at the Brinkley Softball Stadium.
The Buccaneers (16-20, 4-4 BSC) did not allow an extra-base hit from GWU as it took game one if the afternoon, 6-0, and Summer Darnell tossed her fifth complete-game to lead Gardner-Webb (16-16, 2-3 BSC) to the 4-2 victory and a split of the doubleheader.
Callie Thornton had one of her best games of the season at the plate, leading the Runnin' Bulldogs with three hits on the day, including going 2-for-2 in game one.
Game 1- GWU 0, CSU 6
Neither side scored a run in the first two innings, but Charleston Southern scored four runs in the third and added two more runs in the fourth, and that was all they needed for the victory.
Stevi Johnson drew a bases loaded walk for the first run of the day, and after Lexie Vanada grounded into a fielders choice, Caitlyn Emberson cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to the right centerfield gap.
Stephanie Bergmann and Johnson each added back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth to push the lead to 6-0 after four innings of play.
Gardner-Webb put together its best inning at the plate in the seventh as Megan Gibbons and Megan Champion singled and walked respectively to give the Runnin' Bulldogs runners on first and second with no outs. Thornton singled up the middle to load the bases, but Wacaster hit a ground ball to the third baseman who tagged Gibbons and then managed to tag Champion for the unassisted double play, and send CSU to the win.
Game 2- GWU 4, CSU 2
Charleston Southern notched a run in both the first and second inning to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead after the second inning.
Wacaster led off the third with a walk then proceeded to move into scoring position, nabbing her 11th stolen base of the season. JBlank then grounded out, but Wacaster moved to third and cut the defecit to one as Rachel Cumiskey brought home the run with a ground out to the shortstop.
An inning later, Gibbons got the inning going with a lead-off double down the left field line and Champion drew a walk. Emma Megal put down a great bunt to advance both runners and Wacaster came threw with one of her biggest hits of the season, tripling down the right field line, scoring Champion and Gibbons to put GWU up 4-3.
Blank added an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth and Darnell shut down the Bucs in the seventh to send GWU to the 4-2 lead.
The two sides will play the final game of the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
