CLINTON, S.C – Gardner-Webb clinched the weekend series win at Presbyterian on Saturday afternoon, taking the first game of Saturday's doubleheader by a 10-6 score before falling in the nightcap, 9-3.
 
Gardner-Webb now sits at 23-18 overall and 22-10 in Big South Conference play, while Presbyterian is 14-19 overall and 13-14 in league action.
 
GAME ONE
 
Gardner-Webb matched its season high of 16 base hits to defeat Presbyterian by a 10-6 score in the lid lifter of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
Trailing by a 5-0 score after five innings, the Runnin' Bulldogs rallied in the top of the sixth.  With two outs, Cam Pearcey put GWU on the scoreboard with a two-run home run to left field, his eighth home run of the season.  That was followed by a double by Eric Jones to set up a RBI single for Patrick Ferguson to set the score at 5-3.
 
Keiji Parkhurst tied the game at 5-5 with his team-best 11^th home run of 2021 to cap a five-run sixth inning for the 'Dogs.
 
Gardner-Webb claimed the lead in the top of the seventh on a RBI knock by Joe Simone, plating JP McGuire, who led off the frame with an infield single.
 
GWU seized control of the bout in the top of the eighth.  Jones led off with a base hit, immediately followed by a two-run home run by Ferguson, his eighth of the season.  Ben LaSpaluto drove in a run on a base hit, and one more scored on a sacrifice bunt by Mitch McLendon to set the score at 10-5.
 
Presbyterian attempted to rally in the bottom of the ninth.  Back-to-back base hits to lead off the inning set up a RBI fielder's choice by Brody Fahr and had the tying run on deck with two outs before Kyle Merkle struck out to end the game.
 
Gardner-Webb totaled 16 hits, paced by Ferguson with a 5-for-5 effort at the plate with a home run, driving in three runs and scoring twice.
 
Kyle Skidmore (3-1) earned the win on the mound, tossing two scoreless frames with just one base hit in relief of starter Bobby Alcock, who lasted four innings, giving up three earned runs on four base hits with six strikeouts.  Isaac Campbell tossed the final three innings, allowing one run to score on three hits with a pair of strikeouts to record his fourth save of the season.
 
The Blue Hose had eight base hits, led by Zacchaeus Rasberry (2-for-4) and Jake Wyandt (2-for-4, RBI).
 
GAME TWO
 
Gardner-Webb was held to just six base hits as the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped a 9-3 decision to Presbyterian in Saturday's finale.
 
PC took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning on a solo home run by Sean Klein.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered in the top of the third, tying the game on a RBI double to the left field gap by Pearcey, and took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Parkhurst.
 
The Blue Hose reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Klein homered for the second time, this time a two-run shot to left field.  Two more runs scored in the frame on a base hit by Fahr to give PC a 5-2 lead.
 
Neither team scratched again until the bottom of the seventh when Presbyterian took control of the contest, scoring four runs on five hits.
 
GWU scored once more in the nightcap with one out in the top of the ninth inning as Jones hit a solo home run to left field, his third home run of the season.
 
Gardner-Webb managed just six base hits, led by a 3-for-4 effort by Dom Peroni.
 
Kyle Ruehlman (1-3) took the loss for the Runnin' Bulldogs, giving up five runs on four base hits with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings in the start.  Casey Young worked 2.2 innings in relief, giving up two runs on three hits with one strikeout, while Langdon Wilson gave up two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in one inning from the bullpen.  Tyler Harrison tossed one scoreless frame, allowing no base hits.
 
Presbyterian had 10 base hits, led by Klein who was 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and two runs scored.
 
Duncan Howard (2-2) earned the win for the Blue Hose, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work.   Eric Toth recorded the save, his fifth of the year, giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work.
 
Gardner-Webb returns home to Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium, hosting Radford Tuesday evening at 5:00 pm.