ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning Saturday afternoon to take a 7-3 win over UNC Asheville in the second game of the Big South baseball series.

The Runnin' Bulldogs took a 12-8 win Saturday in the suspended opening game of the series, scoring two more runs in the top of the ninth to cap a game that started at 6:00 pm on Friday.

GARDNER-WEBB 7, UNC Asheville 3
UNC Asheville went on top on the third inning with a pair of runs, and held a 3-1 lead heading into the eighth inning. Gardner-Webb launched a major offensive, plating six runs to surge in front and clinch the series.

After the host Bulldogs scored two runs to take the lead, Gardner-Webb scratched one run across in the fourth to get on the board. Alec Burns led off with a walk, then scored on a Bo Rusher III sacrifice fly.

Asheville got that run back in the bottom half, and Gardner-Webb would not score again until its big rally in the eighth.

Alex Ray sparked the rally with a leadoff single up the middle and AJ Jones roped a one-out single through the right side – and Gardner-Webb scored its second run of the game on a throwing error from right field.

Alec Burns followed with a single through the hole into left field and Curtis Robison walked to load the bases. Daegan Brady tied the game with a sacrifice fly and Rusher gave Gardner-Webb the lead with an RBI single into center field. Robison also scored when the ball was thrown away, putting GWU up 5-3. A long RBI double off the base of the wall in left from Peter Capobianco pushed the lead to 6-3 and Humberto Torres laced another RBI double into the gap in left for what would wind up the final margin.

Connor Maggi came on to work the bottom of the eighth, and recorded a key strikeout to strand two runners. Maggi struck out the side in the ninth in another strong relief appearance.

Tyler Switalski pitched well for his third win of the year, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing just two earned runs on four hits. He fanned four and issued just one walk. Maggi worked 2.0 scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts and no walks.

Gardner-Webb had eight hits in the game, paced by Capobianco's 3-for-4 effort. Jones, Burns, Rusher, Torres and Ray had the other knocks for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

UNC Asheville had six hits in the game, with Tylan Reece leading that charge.

GARDNER-WEBB 12, UNC Asheville 8
Gardner-Webb's Friday night game at UNC Asheville was suspended in the top of the ninth with Runnin' Bulldogs holding a 10-8 lead and GWU returned on Saturday afternoon to clinch a 12-8 win.

Gardner-Webb jumped out to a commanding lead early on Friday night and had the bases loaded with nobody out in the ninth when the game was suspended.

The Runnin' Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the first before a lengthy rain delay. Jacob Marcos continued his hot hitting, leading off the game with a single. Alec Burns drew a walk with one out and - after Marcos swiped third - Curtis Robison earned a free pass.

Daegan Brady drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly and Burns scored one play later after a failed pickoffattempt at first. AJ Jones followed with an RBI single up the middle or a 3-0 lead.

UNC Asheville responded with a run in the second inning, but Gardner-Webb rallied again in the third. Burns led off the frame with a single and Robison followed with a base hit. Brady walked to load the bases and Jones drove home Burns with an infield hit. Robison scored on a double play for a 5-1 lead one batter later.

The 'Dogs appeared to break open the game in the fifth, with Peter Capobianco's three-run home run the key blow. Bo Rusher III followed that blast with a walk, and scored on Humberto Torres' second double of the game to push Gardner-Webb's lead to 9-2.

Asheville plated one run to cut the lead to 9-3, but Marcos' speed lifted Gardner-Webb to another surge in the eighth. He was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt – and scored on a passed ball to put GWU up 10-3.

UNC Asheville would not go quietly, rallying for five runs against the Gardner-Webb bullpen in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 10-8.

Gardner-Webb got an infield single from Jones in the top of the ninth, then back-to-back walks to Capobianco and Rusher to load the bases with no outs.

The game was suspended after another delay and the two clubs returned with the bases loaded at 3 pm on Saturday. Torres pushed the lead to 11-8 with a sacrifice fly and Capobianco capped the margin when he scored on an error.

Michael Portella, who returned to the mound on Saturday, retired UNC Asheville in order to preserve the lead.

Joe Simeone won his seventh game, working 6.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs in the start. Kyle Skidmore and Portella finished up the game.

Jones led Gardner-Webb's 12-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI. Torres went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Capobianco drove in three with his long home run. Jacob Marcos, Benino Mendella, Alec Burns and Curtis Robison also had hits in the win.

Four different UNC Asheville batters collected two hits in the loss.

Gardner-Webb will be back in action on Tuesday at North Carolina.