BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – A three-run home run by
Keiji Parkhurst in the bottom of the first inning gave Gardner-Webb an early lead, as the Runnin' Bulldogs would hold on to defeat Georgia State by a 10-8 score on Wednesday evening inside Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium.
Gardner-Webb (3-1) fell behind early, with Georgia State (3-1) plating three runs on four base hits in the top of the first inning.
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning. With one out,
Mitch McLendon reached on a walk, followed by an infield single by
Eric Jones. That set up an RBI knock to left field by
Joe Brazil to put GWU on the board at 3-1 with two runners on base.
Parkhurst stepped up and sent the first pitch he saw over the left field fence, his first home run of 2020, to put Gardner-Webb on top by a 4-3 margin.
GWU added to its lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-RBI hot to center field by Jones, giving the 'Dogs a 6-3 advantage over the Panthers.
Georgia State pulled within two runs at 6-4 after a wild pitch by GWU reliever
Tyler Harrison in the top of the fourth inning, but the Diamond 'Dogs responded with two more runs in the bottom half of the frame as
Carter Cunningham ripped a two-RBI double to deep left field.
GSU scored once again in the top of the fifth on a RBI groundout and again in the top half of the seventh on a RBI single to set the score at 8-6.
The Runnin' Bulldogs tacked on two more runs following the seventh inning stretch, with Ben LaSpaltuto and McLendon each drawing a bases-loaded walk from Georgia State reliever Emir Garett.
Georgia State continued to fight back in the top of the eighth, plating two runs on a triple to dead center with two outs. Gardner-Webb went back to its bullpen with reliever
Chase Lane, who kept the Panthers at bay for the remainder of the contests, recording the final out of the eighth and retiring the side in the ninth to seal the win for the 'Dogs.
Starter
Sean Casteel (1-0) earned the win on the mound for Gardner-Webb in a predetermined start, allowing two earned runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work. GWU used a total of seven arms on the evening, with Lane working the final 1.1 innings with two strikeouts to record his first save of 2020.
Pablo Barquero took the loss for the Panthers, allowing six earned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings on the mound.
The Runnin' Bulldogs collected eight base hits on the evening, with Parkhurst (2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI), Jones (2-for-4, 2 RBI), and
Cam Pearcey (2-for-5, 2B) each having multi-hit outings.
Georgia State totaled seven hits, with Kyle Riesselmann (1-for-6, 3B, 2 RBI) leading the way.
Gardner-Webb returns to action Friday afternoon, hosting Delaware in the first of a three-game weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 pm at Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium.
