BOILING SPRINGS, N.C – Gardner-Webb needed just five innings to defeat Presbyterian in game one, 8-0, but a comeback fell short in the nightcap, as the 'Dogs split the day with the Blue Hose, falling 11-10, in the final game of the doubleheader.
Game One: Gardner-Webb 8, Presbyterian 0 (5 innings)
The Runnin' Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and scored their eighth run in the fourth frame to snap a six-game skid and defeat the Blue Hose, 8-0, in just five innings.
Gardner-Webb (25-21, 4-12 Big South) plated two runs in the first to take a two-run lead.
Andria Booth began her senior day with a walk and moved to third when
Weslyn Almond singled and took second on an error.
Autumn Owen's sacrifice fly scored GWU's first run, and senior
Kaylee Wacaster's RBI single through the left side of the infield put Gardner-Webb in front, 2-0.
Presbyterian (10-33-2, 0-16 Big South Conference) left a pair of runners stranded in the first with both reaching via four-pitch walks. The Runnin' Bulldogs pushed their lead to seven runs when five runs crossed in the bottom of the second.
Gardner-Webb began the inning with back-to-back singles by
Meredith Ferguson and
Annamarie Warley to get a pair of runners on, and senior
Madi Lewis batted in the first run of the frame with an RBI double to left field. Following a four-pitch base on balls by Booth, three consecutive singles by Almond, Owen, and K. Wacaster scored four runs respectively.
The Blue Hose's Jonnie Petree got into scoring position in the third, but Perry, who spent the entire game in the circle, got out of the inning. The Runnin' Bulldogs' bats were silenced in the third, but a one-out triple by K. Wacaster in the fourth gave the home squad life. Wacaster scored on Perry's RBI groundout as Gardner-Webb took an 8-0 lead.
Presbyterian loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with a single and two consecutive one-out walks, but Perry got a strike out and pop up to
Callie Thornton, forcing PC to leave the bases full. The five-inning game ended in favor of the 'Dogs by an 8-0 margin.
Perry (15-10) tossed a shutout for the first time since an 8-0 win over North Carolina Central on March 20. She surrendered just three hits and struck out five. Taylor Ward (4-13) gave up all eight runs and struck out three. Ward gave up 10 hits.
The 'Dogs were led by K. Wacaster who went a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and Owen, who recorded one hit and batted in a pair of runs. Petree led Presbyterian with two hits in three at-bats.
Game Two: Gardner-Webb 10, Presbyterian 11
A furious five-run rally in the final inning fell short as the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs could not complete the sweep of the Blue Hose and fell in the nightcap, 11-10.
Presbyterian (11-33-2, 1-16 Big South) jumped out to an early lead after the game began following a two-hour rain delay due to heavy rain that began just minutes after the final out of the series opener. The Blue Hose scored runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 5-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb (25-22, 4-13 Big South) got on the board in the bottom of the third when Owen doubled home Booth and Almond to pull the Runnin' Bulldogs to within three runs, 5-2.
After a scoreless fourth frame, both teams managed a pair of runs in the fifth with Gardner-Webb's coming when Owen homered to center field, scoring Almond.
The following inning, but teams scored again, but Presbyterian managed three runs, while Lewis' RBI double was all that the Runnin' Bulldogs got in their half of the frame.
After six complete innings, Gardner-Webb trailed by a 10-5 score, and Presbyterian made it a six-run game following the top of the seventh.
Down to their final three outs, the Runnin' Bulldogs put together a furious comeback attempt that began with the 'Dogs get two of their first three runners on base. Almond walked and K. Wacaster singled before
Jenna Wacaster stepped up
to the plate. On the third pitch of her at-bat, J. Wacaster smacked a hard hit ball over the fence in left center field. Wacaster's three-run shot made it 11-8 in favor of Presbyterian.
Gardner-Webb loaded the bases when Ferguson walked, Warley singled and Lewis walked. Presbyterian's Courtney White, who entered in relief of Sarah Ramsbottom with the tying run on deck surrendered walks to Thornton and Almond, both of which scored runs, and made it a one-run contest.
With the bases full and two outs, Owen grounded out to second base, and the Blue Hose held on for the 11-10 victory.
Reah Barger (5-6) took the loss. She spent 2.0 innings in the circle and gave up four runs and on four hits and two walks.
Laken Myers and Lewis pitched a combined five innings. PC's Ramsbottom picked up her first victory of the year. She threw 6.1 innings and gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on nine hits. White was credited with the save despite surrendering three walks in 0.2 innings of work.
At the plate, Owen (2-for-5, 4 RBI) and J. Wacaster (1-for-3, 3 RBI) accounted for seven of Gardner-Webb's 10 runs batted in. Presbyterian's Macy Hyatt had a solid game going 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and three runs scored.
Gardner-Webb will look to get the series win tomorrow at 2 p.m. Stay tuned to @GWUSoftball on twitter and the schedule page on gwusports.com for updates.
