BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb dropped both ends of its Sunday twinbill at Brinkley Family Softball Stadium, losing 9-1 to Saint Francis (Pa.) and 10-3 to Toledo.
GAME ONE: Saint Francis (Pa.) 9, Gardner-Webb 1
The Red Flashes plated two runs in the top of the fifth to break a 1-1 tie and put the game on ice with a five-run seventh inning. The decisive seventh frame featured four singles, with two of the runs scored with one out and three of the runs scored with two outs.
Gardner-Webb got a leadoff single from
Jenna Wacaster in the bottom of the seventh, but could not get her past second base.
The Runnin' Bulldogs had two hits in the game, with Wacaster (1-for-3) and
Katie Mitchell (1-for-3, run) collecting those.
Tristen Horrell took the loss in the circle, working 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks. She fanned two.
Laken Myers came on and pitched the final three innings, allowing six runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Saint Francis collected nine hits in the game, led by leadoff batter Mekenzie Saban's 4-for-5 day (three runs). Jordan Pietrzykoski added a pair of hits and two RBI. The visitors also took advantage of five walks.
GAME TWO: Toledo 10 Gardner-Webb 3
The Rockets scored seven runs in the top of the first and never looked back in Sunday's finale, using four walks, two hits and a pair of GWU errors to strike for an early advantage.
Andrea Lyon answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, but neither team could manage to scratch anything across the plate again until the top of the fifth – when Riley Mohr belted a two-run home run herself for a 9-2 advantage.
A solo home run from Dayna Denner in the top of the sixth put Toledo up 10-2, but Gardner-Webb kept the game alive by scoring a run in the bottom half on an infield single from
Leslie McNeil.
Trinity Sterrett led off the sixth with a single of her own, moved to second on a throwing error and sat at third after a wild pitch.
Both teams went quietly in the seventh.
Myer took the loss for Gardner-Webb, working just the first inning, with seven unearned runs crossing the plate. Horrell came on and was solid, allowing just two earned runs on nine hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Gardner-Webb had 11 hits in the game, but stranded nine runners.
Weslyn Almond went 2-for-4, Lyon finished with a 3-for-4 day and two RBI and McNeil went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Sterrett and
Jenna Wacaster also had singles.
Toledo managed 11 this as well, getting two apiece from Aleah Marra, Mohr and Raquel Emery.
McKenna Schmidt worked 5.0 strong innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
Gardner-Webb travels to play South Carolina on Tuesday, March 16 in Columbia. The first game is set to begin at 2:30 pm. GWU the returns home to face Longwood in Big South action on March 20 and March 21.
