HAMPTON, Va. – Kaylee Wacaster broke the career runs batted in record, and Gardner-Webb scored runs in five of seven innings to defeat the Hampton Pirates, 11-1, in Sunday's rubber match, which was also the 2019 season finale for both teams.

Gardner-Webb ended 2019 with a 30-24 overall record and 9-15 record in Big South play. This marked the first time since 2007 that the Runnin' Bulldogs reached the 30-win mark. During the '07 campaign, Gardner-Webb, which competed in the Atlantic Sun at the time, went 35-27 and 10-8 in ASUN play.

Hampton ended its season with a .500 record at 23-23 and finished eighth in its inaugural season of Big South action with a 8-16 conference record.

The Runnin' Bulldogs took the early lead over the Pirates with a run in the top of the first inning when Jenna Wacaster's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded scored Andria Booth who began the game with a single.

Brooke Perry cruised through the first two innings in the circle for Gardner-Webb, and the 'Dogs gave her a five-run cushion after three innings thanks to three runs in their half of the inning.

In the third, the 'Dogs loaded the bases with no outs as Weslyn Almond walked and Autumn Owen and J. Wacaster both singled. K. Wacaster broke Gardner-Webb's career RBI record batting in her 147^th and 148^th runs with a single. Wacaster gave the Runnin' Bulldogs a 3-0 lead, while Madi Lewis (RBI fielder's choice) and Callie Thornton (RBI single) pushed Gardner-Webb's advantage to 5-0.

The 'Dogs added three runs between the fourth and fifth innings respectively, with J. Wacaster, Annamarie Warley and Owen batting in runs. After five complete innings, GWU led, 8-1, as Hampton avoided the shutout when Daniella Milloy batted in a run with single through the left side of the infield the previous inning.

Both teams went down quietly in the sixth, and the 'Dogs pushed their lead to double-digits in the seventh.

A single by Lewis and double by Booth put runners on the corners for Almond, and her sacrifice fly allowed pinch runner Abbey Goodrum to score, making it a 9-1 game. Following Owen's base hit, J. Wacaster's two-RBI hit to center field scored a pair and gave GWU a 10-run advantage.

Perry pitched a scoreless seventh to record her 18^th win of the season and 23^rd complete. She finished the year 18-12 overall with a pair of saves in 34 appearances. The Pirates' Allyson Babinsack received the loss. Babinsack spent three innings in the circle and allowed five. In relief, Allie Hoetez tossed the final four innings and surrendered six runs.

At the plate, the Wacaster sisters – Jenna (2-for-4, 3B, 4 RBI) and Kaylee (2-for-5, 2 RBI) – combined to go 4-for-9 and batted in more than half of Gardner-Webb's runs.

The Runnin' Bulldogs close out the 2019 campaign with a 30-24 overall record. Stay tuned to @GWUSoftball on social media or gwusports.com for the latest Gardner-Webb softball news.