ROCK HILL, S.C. – Gardner-Webb scored six runs in a decisive fourth-inning burst Saturday afternoon and evened the series with an 11-6 win at Winthrop in Big South baseball action.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (15-7, 4-1 Big South) rapped out 14 hits in the win, with six of those going for extra bases.

After falling behind 2-0 after a tricky start in the first, Gardner-Webb got an RBI triple from Nate Anderson in the top of the second for its first run of the day. Neither team scratched again until the big fourth inning by Gardner-Webb, which saw the 'Dogs send 10 men to the plate to take control of the game.

Anderson walked with one out to start eh rally and scored on an RBI single from Bo Rusher III. With Rusher and Trevor Mason on board, Jacob Marcos ripped a two-run double to left center to give Gardner-Webb a 4-2 lead.

Jacob McCaskey followed with an RBI single up the middle to bring home Marcos and – after a Mark Black single – Curtis Robison drove in two more with a two-run triple into the gap in right center.

Winthrop (10-14, 1-4 Big South) got a run back in the fourth, but Gardner-Webb answered with an RBI double from Mattson down the line to push ahead 8-3.

The Eagles bounced back with two runs in the fifth inning to trim the lead to 8-5 and Rusher came through again with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to make the score 9-5.

Leading 9-6 heading into the ninth, Gardner-Webb put the game away with a solo home run from Alec Burns and an RBI single from Max Smyley.

Southpaw Tyler Switalski (5-1) picked up another win on the mound, working 5.1 innings and allowing just three earned runs on eighth hits. He fanned four and walked one.

Connor Maggi went 2.2 innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts and Phil Fox worked a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

Marcos led Gardner-Webb offensively, going 3-for-6 at the plate, Burns (2-for-5, HR, RBI) and Rusher (2-for-5, RBI) also had multiple hits.

The two teams will play the rubber match on Sunday at Noon at the Winthrop Ballpark (ESPN+).