ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to take its first lead of the day, but UNC Asheville answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs to take a 12-10 decision in the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon.
 
Gardner-Webb (26-20, 11-10 Big South) outhit UNC Asheville (12-31, 7-14 Big South) by a 16-14 margin, but GWU stranded eight base runners while Asheville only left five on base.
 
Trailing by a 9-6 score as play headed to the eighth inning, the Runnin' Bulldogs began to rally with two outs.
 
Mason Fox reached by ripping a single back up the middle of the infield, which was followed by another base knock up the middle by Mickey Dugan.
 
That brought Corey Howard to the plate, who sent a 1-1 pitch into right field to send Fox home.
 
Eric Jones then stepped up and sent the first pitch he saw well over the fence in left field to drive in three runs, giving Gardner-Webb its first lead of the afternoon at 10-9. It was the fourth home run of the season for Jones.
 
GWU continued to collect base hits in the frame, as Chandler Redmond reached on a single to center field, followed by a base hit by Chris Clary, but Asheville ended the GWU scoring threat by throwing out Redmond at home while attempting to score on Clary's hit to record the final out of the inning.
 
Chris Troost led off the bottom of the eighth by drawing a four-pitch walk, which led to Gardner-Webb putting Fox on the mound.
 
Kole Harris moved Troost over to second on a sacrifice bunt to record the first out,  but Fox then walked Greg Gasparro and Joe Zayatz to load the bases with one out.
 
Carmine Pagano hit a shallow fly ball to center field to record the second out, which was not deep enough to send the tying run home, but Joe Gruszka would draw the third walk of the inning from Fox to tie the game at 10-10.
 
UNC Asheville would take a 12-10 lead as Danny Wilson stepped up with a two-run double to left field, and Fox would get Jake Catalano to fly out to right field to end the inning.
 
Gardner-Webb had one attempt left to either tie the game or reclaim the lead in the top of the ninth, but Harris fanned all three batters faced in the inning to end the game.
 
UNC Asheville jumped out to an immediate lead in the bottom of the first, scoring the first run of the day on a RBI triple to the right field gap by Gruszka, followed by a RBI single by Tyler Serricchio and a two-run double by Anthony Cuozzi to take a 4-0 lead.
 
GWU began to battle back in the top of the second inning, plating its first run of the contest on a RBI single to right field with no outs, and scored twice more in the frame on back-to-back bases loaded walks drawn by Mickey Dugan and Corey Howard to pull the 'Dogs within one run at 4-3.
 
Asheville added one run in the bottom of the second, as a throwing error allowed Gasparro to score from second base.
 
The Diamond 'Dogs tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, scoring the first run of the frame on a RBI double down the left field line by Fox, backed up by a RBI single to center field by Howard to center field that plated Fox.
 
UNC Asheville again answered in the bottom half of the fourth inning as Troost was able to score from third base when Gasparro grounded into a double play, and added another run in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI single by Serricchio.
 
A RBI single by Dugan with two outs in the top of the sixth brought GWU back within one run at 7-6, but Asheville would again expand their lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Pagano, setting the score at 9-6.
 
Howard was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBI to pace the GWU offensive attack.  Dugan also has base hits in each of his at-bats, going 3-for-3 with two RBI.  Fox was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
 
Zayatz led UNC Asheville's bats, going 4-for-4, with a double while scoring two runs.
 
Fox (3-6) took the loss for Gardner-Webb, giving up a pair of runs on one base hit while walking three batters one inning of work.  Starter Aaron Stewart lasted two innings, allowing five runs on five hits with one strikeout.  Wil Sellers worked 3.2 innings in relief, giving up four runs on eight hits while fanning three batters, and Isaac Campbell recorded the final out of the sixth inning.  Noah Davis allowed one run on no hits, tossing the seventh before walking the leadoff batter in the eighth.
 
Harris (1-0) was awarded the win for UNC Asheville, working the final 1.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts.  Starter Eric Whitecavage lasted just 1.1 innings, surrendering three runs on four hits.
 
Gardner-Webb returns to action a week from today, traveling to Durham, N.C. to take on No. 13 Duke in a doubleheader at Jack Coombs Field.  The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm, with both games being broadcast on the ACC Network Extra (WatchESPN.com).