BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs softball squad opened its 2018 campaign with a pair of losses to soon-to-be conference opponent USC Upstate, 8-4 and 15-1.
Game One: USC Upstate 8, Gardner-Webb 4
While things were quiet for both teams to open the game, the Runnin' Bulldogs jumped on top of the visiting Spartans in the second inning of the contest, as
Maddi Johnson knocked in freshman
Katie Stettler with an RBI single.
After Johnson got on base, back-to-back walks loaded the bases for newcomer
Jenna Wacaster who drew a walk, giving GWU an early 2-0 advantage over USC Upstate.
Upstate would not trail for long as it used a three-run third inning to take its first lead of the game in third before the Runnin' Bulldogs'
Callie Thornton doubled with two outs in the bottom of half of the third frame, scoring J. Wacaster and knotting the score at three after three innings of play.
Gardner-Webb had a runner cross the plate for the third consecutive inning in the bottom of the fourth when
Kaylee Wacaster, the elder of the two sisters, led off the inning with a solo shot to center field to give the 'Dogs a 4-3 lead, but five unanswered runs propelled the Spartans to an 8-4 victory.
USC Upstate scored twice in the top of the sixth frame thanks to Audrey Gilstrap's 2-RBI single. The Spartans added an additional two runs via two-run home run in the top of the seventh.
Gardner-Webb was unable to get anything going in the bottom half of the seventh and fell, 8-4.
K. Wacaster and
Andria Booth both recorded two-hit games to give the Runnin' Bulldogs four of their seven hits for the contest. Four 'Dogs (Johnson, K. Wacaster, J. Wacaster and Thornton) recorded an RBI.
Ashley Wark (0-1) took the loss for Gardner-Webb, pitching a complete game and giving up five earned runs on 10 hits. Kelsey Sweatt (1-0) earned the win for the Spartans also going the distance in the circle.
Game Two: USC Upstate 15, Gardner-Webb 1
The second game of the evening did not go in favor of the Runnin' Bulldogs as USC Upstate managed to jump out to a 9-0 lead after two innings.
The Spartans would make extend their advantage to 11-0 following the top of the third inning. Gardner-Webb scored its only run in the bottom of the third frame when Johnson earned a bases loaded walk to score
Weslyn Almond.
Over the final two innings, the Spartans added four runs en route to a 15-1 victory.
The 'Dogs recorded two hits in the second game of the doubleheader, with one by Thornton and the other by Booth. Upstate managed 17 hits over the five inning contest.
Laken Myers (0-1) took the loss for the Runnin' Bulldogs, pitching one inning and giving up three earned runs. USC Upstate's Erin Hill (1-0) earned the victory, throwing four innings and giving up just two hits and one earned run.
Gardner-Webb drops to 0-2 on the year, while USC Upstate improves to 2-0.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will be back in action tomorrow, Friday, February 9
th against Youngstown State and Western Kentucky. The games are part of the Gardner-Webb University Tournament Sponsored by AmericInn. The first game (Hampton versus Youngstown State) is set for 10 a.m., while GWU will play at 2 and 4 p.m. Â
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