BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb (5-3-2) defeated the South Carolina State (0-11-0) 4-1 in their final non-conference game Sunday night from Greene-Harbison Stadium in Boiling Springs.
 
Maddie Turlington led all scorers with two goals while Klara Ovefelt and Autumn Woodard added one each. Alli Varga contributed to the Runnin' Bulldogs victory by pouring in two assists.
 
"I thought our first half was pretty subpar, but I felt they responded well to the challenge at halftime and raised the level. We came out and scored three goals and played a much better second half overall," said head coach Mike Varga.
 
Gardner-Webb's five wins before conference play are the most in program history.
 
"Give a lot of credit to South Carolina State," said Varga. "They are dealing with a lot of injuries and a limited roster, but they battled for the full 90 minutes and earned a goal at the end."
 
Through 10 matches Turlington has already tallied 10 goals and four assists for a total of 24 points, both of which are new single-season career highs. She has scored in six contests, while nine regular season matches still remain. Meanwhile, Woodard has scored five goals and assisted on three in her last three matches.
 
Gardner-Webb's offense applied pressure as its 42 shots were 37 more than South Carolina State's five. GWU rounded out the week with two commanding performances, finishing with a combined 25 goals off 30 assists.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs are next in action at home against Charleston Southern on Wednesday, September 21, as they open the league portion of their schedule. Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Greene-Harbison Stadium in Boiling Springs.