CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Justin Kunz belted a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to lift Gardner-Webb past Western Carolina, 5-4, in midweek baseball action Wednesday evening.
 
Gardner-Webb improves to 9-8 overall, while Western Carolina drops to 10-8 on the year.
 
With two outs in the top of the sixth and the score knotted at 4-4, Kunz stepped up and with a 1-0 count blasted his sixth home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 5-4 lead.
 
GWU kept the Catamounts at bay for the remainder of the game, allowing just two runners to reach base, to seal the win.
 
The 'Dogs got off to a hot start, scoring four runs in the top of the first.  Chandler Redmond connected with a three-run home run to right field, his fifth of 2019.  That now gives him 37 long balls for his career, putting him within one of the GWU career record of 38 set by Sammy Pruett, who set the record in 2000.
 
The fourth run of the frame scored as CJ White was able to reach with the bases loaded on a fielding error.
 
WCU answered in the bottom of the second, cutting Gardner-Webb's lead in half on a RBI triple by Immanuel Wilder, followed by a RBI double off of the bat of Michael Goehrig.
 
The Catamounts would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth, plating a pair of runs on a single to center field by Justice Bigbie
 
Gardner-Webb collected six base hits throughout the game, paced by Kunz (2-for-4, 2B, HR) and Mitch McLendon (2-for-3, 2B).
 
WCU totaled seven hits on the evening, led by Matthew Koehler (2-for-3, 3B).
 
Luke Williamson (1-0) earned his first win of the season, working 2.1 perfect frames with one strikeout.  Starter Aaron Stewart tossed the first two innings, giving up a pair of runs on three hits while fanning two batters.  Eugene Snyder tossed 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts.  Langdon Wilson worked a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout, and Jarrett Thompson recorded his fourth save of the year, allowing no runs or base hits with one strikeout in the ninth.
 
Ryan Mitschele (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Western Carolina, allowing one run on four base hits with three strikeouts in five innings of relief work.   Starter Eric Wallington recorded just two outs in the first inning, allowing four runs, three earned, on one hit.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs travel down to Clinton, S.C. this weekend for a Big South Conference series at Presbyterian.  Friday's game is set for a 3:00 pm start time, with Saturday's game taking place at 2:00 pm and Sunday's start time set for 1:00 pm.