BOILING SPRINGS – Alec Burns belted a long, two-run home run to dead center and AJ Jones plated an insurance run with sacrifice fly to lift Gardner-Webb to a 4-2 win over Carolina University on Wednesday.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (2-3) needed only four hits to pick up the win, and will now prepare for a weekend series at No. 11 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Curtis Robison put the 'Dogs up 1-0 in the first with a sacrifice fly that plated Jacob Marcos. The score remained the same until the Bruins (5-7) pushed across a run in the third to tie the score. An unearned run off a fielding error in the fifth allowed a run to slip in for the visitors and Gardner-Webb had to mount a rally in the eighth.

Robison reached on a walk with one out in the eighth, working a nine-pitch at bat. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Burns belted a fastball on a 2-1 count off the batter's eye in dead center to give Gardner-Webb the lead for good.

Bo Rusher III earned a walk on four pitches and Alex Ray put two in scoring position with a sharp double to right. Jones then lined a ball to right, deep enough to drive home Rusher for a 4-2 lead that would stand.

Kyle Skidmore, who worked a scoreless eighth inning, struck out the side in the ninth to earn the win. Skidmore (1-0) fanned four batters in 2.0 perfect frames of relief on a staff day for Gardner-Webb.

Freshman Jason E'Toile started and was spectacular on the mound, working 2.0 innings with four strikeouts and only one walk. Drew Janssen and Conor Gleeson were also unblemished in relief, with Gleeson perfect in the sixth and seventh innings.

Four different batters collected one hit for Gardner-Webb, with Peter Capobianco (1-for-2), Burns (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI), Ray (1-for-4, 2B) and Jones (1-for-3, RBI) doing the damage. Marcos walked once and stole two of Gardner-Webb's six bases on the day.

Drew Laprade (0-1) took the loss for the Bruins, working 0.1 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks. Eight different arms took the mound for the visitors.

D'Artagnan Hawthorne led the Bruins' five-hit effort offensively, going 2-for-3 with an RBI single.

Gardner-Webb will battle the nationally-ranked Yellow Jackets next, beginning on Friday at 4:00 pm in Atlanta. The game will stream live on ACC Network Extra.