BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb used late-inning heroics in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader to complete the Big South Conference weekend series sweep of UNC Asheville at Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
Gardner-Webb improves to 26-19 overall and 25-11 in Big South play, while Asheville drops to 15-30 overall and 14-23 in league action.
 
GAME ONE
 
Gardner-Webb plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take an 8-7 win in the opening contest of Saturday's twin bill.
 
Patrick Ferguson led off the eighth with a solo home run to center field, his second home run of the game, to tie the score, and later in the frame pinch hitter Joe Brazil belted a double down the left field line to drive in the go-ahead run.
 
GWU went to its bullpen, bringing in Isaac Campbell to work the ninth, who shut down the visiting Bulldogs to seal the contest.
 
UNC Asheville held a 4-1 lead as play headed to the bottom of the fifth, but the GWU offense erupted with five runs on three hits in the frame to claim a55-4 advantage.  JP McGuire led off with a home run to center field, and later a double by Keiji Parkhurst drove in one run.  Ferguson then stepped up to deliver a three-run home run to right field to give GWU the lead.
 
UNCA answered in the top of the sixth, scoring twice on a double by Grayson Preslar and once more on a RBI knock by Dominic Freeberger to take a 7-6 lead.
 
Gardner-Webb totaled ten hits in the game, led by Ferguson's 2-for-4 effort with two home runs and four RBI.
 
Kyle Skidmore (4-1) earned the win for the Runnin' Bulldogs, working three scoreless frames with five strikeouts and just three base hits.  Campbell earned his sixth save of the season with a scoreless ninth.  Starter Bobby Alcock lasted 4.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
 
UNC Asheville had 13 hits, led by Freeberger (3-for-5, RBI).
 
Trey Jernigan (1-4) took the loss for Asheville, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in three innings of work.  Starter Jacob Edwards lasted five innings, allowing six runs on six hits while fanning eight batters.
 
GAME TWO
The Gardner-Webb bats erupted in the late innings, scoring nine runs, as Gardner-Webb earned an 11-6 win over UNC Asheville in the nightcap.
 
GWU trailed UNC Asheville by a 6-2 score as play headed to the bottom of the sixth inning.  The 'Dogs began their rally with two outs as Eric Jones belted a two-run shot to center field to cut the deficit in half.
 
Gardner-Webb claimed the lead in the seventh win four runs on four hits.  With the bases loaded, Dom Peroni sent one run across on a sacrifice fly, followed by a two-run knock up the middle by Joe Brazil.  One more run scored on a base hit by Mitch McLendon to give GWU an 8-6 lead.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs added insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run home run by Patrick Ferguson, his third home run of the day and 12^th of the season.  One more run scored on a RBI double by Peroni to give GWU an 11-6 lead.
 
Gardner-Webb matched its season-high with 16 base hits in the game, led by McLendon (3-for-5, RBI), JP McGuire (3-for-5, 2B, RBI), and Joe Simone (3-for-4, 3B).
 
Langdon Wilson (4-1) earned the win for the Runnin' Bulldogs, working 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one base hit with four strikeouts.  Starter Kyle Ruehlman lasted 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with one strikeout.  Connor Gleeson recorded six outs, giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
 
UNC Asheville had 10 hits, led by a 4-for-4 effort by Kohl Abrams.
 
Isaac Gonzales (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits while recording just one out.  Starter Kole Harris lasted five innings, allowing two runs on seven base hits with four strikeouts.
 
Gardner-Webb returns to action Tuesday afternoon in midweek play at Winthrop.  First pitch is at 3:00 pm in Rock Hill, S.C.