BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb their games in day two of the Red & Black Classic on Saturday. They defeated Harvard 3-2 behind a walk-off single from Andrea Lyon, but fell to Chattanooga 3-2 to conclude the day's action.
In the first game, Gardner-Webb got started in the bottom of the third with Kasey Fava getting walked and Adrienne Visintine homering to center field and opening up a 2-0 lead for GWU.
Harvard chipped away at their deficit with a run in the fourth and one in the fifth.
In the bottom of the seventh with the score knotted up at 2-2, Kasey Fava hit a leadoff single to third. Visintine then grounded out, but advanced Fava to second to setup Lyon. Lyon lined the ball to deep left field bringing Fava home and giving the 'Dogs their first win of the weekend tournament.
Alli Stidham picked up the win on the mound as she went the full seven innings. She allowed six hits, two runs, with only one being earned and one walk. Stidham struck out eight batters while facing 30.
In the second game of the day, Chattanooga's offense was unable to do much on the plate outside of the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth, they tallied the first scores for either team of the game and led 3-0.
Gardner-Webb was unable to bring a runner home until the sixth. They put a runner in scoring position in each of the first six innings. They loaded the bases twice as well with those coming in the second and the fourth inning.
In the sixth, the bases got loaded with three walks. Ella Christopher came to the plate with two outs and belted a single to bring home a pair of runners and cut their deficit to one. They chance came to a close after a strikeout to end the inning.
The Mocs were unable to tack on extra runs in the top of the seventh, but the Runnin' Bulldogs went down 1-2-3 to end the game.
Lyon pitched five innings giving up four hits, three runs, two earned runs and walked a pair on the day. She also struck out two batters. Kaylin Kyle came on in relief and pitched two innings, giving up one hit and sticking out two batters in the effort.
Gardner-Webb will be back in action on Sunday in the third and final day of the Red & Black Classic hosted by the Runnin' Bulldogs at Brinkley Stadium. They play in the final two games of the tournament with the first against Detroit Mercy at 3:00 p.m. followed by Sacred Heart at 5:00 p.m.
